Painful Memories: Part II: Awakening
by Sylvia1
Summary: Bringing together the item holders is more difficult than Marik and Pegasus expected. Featuring: Marik, Pegasus, Ryou, Yugi, Joey, Kaiba
1. Charades

Ryou sat back in his computer chair and gave a heavy sigh. He pulled off his bluetooth headset and put it on the desk for a moment. His ear ached and he needed a break from the charade for a few minutes. He put in that he needed a five minute break and got up to walk around his tiny apartment. The room was lined with bookshelves, but there were very few books on them. Mostly there were wood carvings: ducks, donkeys, geese, a few birds in flight, even a couple of horses. He had gotten very good at carving in the last couple of years, and it had gotten him through quite a few difficult customers. You would think that working at a place that sold fun would attract nicer customers, but that was never the case.

He had just gotten off the phone with a customer who had switched up their order at least fifteen times within a single hour. Of course his employer didn't mind how long it took to make a customer happy, only that they were in fact happy when they finally ended the phone call. Ryou wouldn't mind so much if it didn't mean that he had to keep up the cheerful facade for so very long. He could handle short bursts, but when it lasted a full hour, he found his nerves pushed to the limits. It was funny really, he had gotten away from Yugi's group because of the constant charade, then he found a job that required it. Somehow he was always being pulled into situations where he was forced to keep an upbeat, cheerful personality, perhaps because he had so much trouble acquiring it on his own.

Ryou stretched and heard several pops go up his spine, then opened the top drawer of his desk where a pile of carving knives lay. He dragged his fingers over a few until he found one that suited his mood, one of the thinner knives with a smooth, oak handle and a long blade. On top of his desk was a pile of wooden blocks. They had come in a pack of twenty or so, and were still neatly stacked on top of the cellophane they had arrived in. He pulled one down and slapped it onto the middle of his desk.

He stepped into his tiny kitchen and pulled a beer out of the fridge and took a swig. It was Friday afternoon and he only had a few hours left: the homerun stretch. He took another sip then sat down at his desk and replaced his earpiece. He picked up the knife and stabbed viciously at the piece of wood, missing a few times so that the knife dug deep ridges into the wooden desk. His desk was full of those holes. After a minute or so he stopped with his stabbing, then turned on the earpiece again and waited for the next call to come in.

It didn't take long. He took another sip from his beer before answering. "You've reached Graceful Unicorn Cruise Lines, the place where magical wishes are granted! My name is Ryou. Can I grant your wish by helping you set sail on a magical vacation today?"

There was a snicker of laughter on the other end. Great, a prank caller. He should have started drinking earlier. "Yes," said a familiar voice. "Do you have anything leaving Egypt?"

Ryou froze. His mouth went dry and the knife in his hand clattered to the desk. "Marik?"

He couldn't hide his laughter this time, "Hi Ryou. They said they would transfer me to you, but I didn't think it would be so quick!"

"How did you find me?" Ryou asked, feeling awkward suddenly and uncomfortable. He had gone through great lengths to not be found here, even going by a different last name. He should have known that Marik would still be able to find him. He had connections, resources, and a keen way of hunting people that both terrified and thrilled him at the same time.

"I think the hard part was figuring out the last name. Then I realized that ILLUSHU was the Egyptian name of one of _his_ cards." Marik paused for a moment, "You never did get over him, did you?"

_Get over him?_ Was that how Marik saw all of it? Ryou simply was so enthralled by the Spirit of the Ring that he couldn't move on? What a simplistic view! That might be more how Marik felt, but for Ryou it was entirely different. The very reference to the Thief made his anger boil up slowly like a crack of rock in a dry cliffside seeing lava bubble up. To Ryou, the Thief was more than a lost lover, he was like a spouse that left without ever saying good-bye. Worse than that though, because at least your spouse didn't share the same body with you. When the Thief abandoned him for that foolish romp through the Memory Tablet, Ryou was left alone and empty. He felt used and forgotten, and Marik's flippant attitude didn't help.

The worst part was that Ryou's extended silence only made Marik assume he was right. "Look, I'm sorry I brought it up. I just thought that you and he were-"

"Why are you calling me at work, Marik?" Ryou hoped the spite in his voice shocked him. He hoped it pulled him out of his comfort zone the way that Marik's call out of the blue had for him.

"There's been trouble with the Items," Marik's voice was smaller this time and it gave Ryou a small amount of enjoyment. "I don't want to say too much over the phone though. You understand."

"Of course," he whispered, his momentary enjoyment suddenly crashing into conflict. He thought that everything to do with the Items had been buried with them years ago. Maybe they were hoping to put them into a museum or something.

"I thought maybe we could get lunch together? What day are you free?"

The tilt in Marik's voice made it sound as though he was offering something _more_ than just lunch, and Ryou felt a flush on his cheeks that quicly moved down to his groin. "Lunch? Like a date?"

He expected Marik to laugh. "Sure, why not?"

Ryou took a moment to respond, and realized that he was clutching the edge of his desk. "I don't suppose you're anywhere near Domino right now."

"No, but I can be."

The assuredness in Marik's voice did nothing to calm the burning inside of him. That was one of the many things he liked about Marik. When he set his sights on something, very little could stand in his way. Even the Thief couldn't refuse him. What hope did Ryou have?

He swallowed and his throat was dry. "Saturday then? Around eleven?"

"Sure. Is that sandwich place still down the street from the bar we used to go to?"

The memories flooded back instantly, late nights with flashing lights and pulsing bodies. Large leather booths with the Thief and Marik sitting so close they were practically on top of each other, Marik controlling waitresses and the Thief filching valuables. Sometimes Ryou felt like a third wheel during their long, raucous nights that always ended in a bedroom. Sometimes though he was encouraged out and more than once the Thief would switch out in the middle of sex. Ryou didn't mind it though. The suddenness of it made it all the more dangerous and exciting. It was such a very different life for him compared to now.

"Yes, it's still there."

"Great, I'll see you there then!"

"Alright," Ryou whispered and hung up. He laid his head down on his desk and exhaled. He wasn't sure whether or not he was glad for Marik to be back in his life, but he couldn't deny the old wounds as they reopened. Ryou had changed so much since they had last seen each other; had Marik changed too?


	2. Surprise Visit

Save for a few die-hard collectors that dropped in when the store first opened, the morning hours at the Kami Game Shop were pretty quiet. Yugi always liked working around that time because that was when he got to look at the latest cards and read up on what was coming down the line soon. The new copy of Duelist Weekly had just come in and he was dying to see what some of the newer monsters were going to be. Mostly the new cards were going to center around pirates, a few of which looked pretty tricky. Sure they didn't mix with his magicians too well, but having a couple in his deck would probably be a good idea. He was going through and circling some of the better cards and trying to guess at how much they would cost to pick up when a customer stepped through the front door. The bell dinged and without looking up, Yugi gave his regular greeting.

"Welcome to Kami Game Shop!"

The person didn't respond, which was pretty normal actually. Most of the people that came in who weren't regulars were pretty quiet. It usually took two or three visits before they started talking. Yugi was pretty quiet himself, so he understood where they were coming from. Sometimes they might even be intimidated or embarrassed to be there. That was a real shocker when Joey had told him that years ago. To Yugi, being in a game shop or a comic shop was simply normal. He never saw anything to be embarrassed about, though he was considered a big nerd. So when the visitor didn't move away from the front door and just stood there for a few moments, Yugi didn't really think anything of it. He was too busy planning and any duelist loses track of their surroundings when new cards are put in front of them.

The visitor walked up to the front desk, again without making a sound, and Yugi muttered, "Can I help you find something?"

"No, I think I've found what I'm looking for, Yugi-boy."

Yugi stopped in mid-circle. His jaw dropped as he looked up over the front desk to see Pegasus Crawford standing in front of him. He wasn't dressed in his normal pink suit or anything as formal. He had on a pair of blue jeans and a black tee-shirt with sunglasses and a black and grey fedora. If it wasn't for his voice, Yugi might not have even recognized him.

"Pegasus! What are you doing here?"

He laughed, "To see you of course! What else would I be doing?"

Yugi leaped up and nearly fell out of his chair since he forgot he had a bar stool to sit at. The counter was too high for him to sit at a regular chair. He went around the desk once he gained his footing again, "Come on back. Do you want something to drink? I've got coffee, black tea, green tea…"

"Some green tea would be nice," Pegasus said and Yugi noticed the large briefcase at his side.

He led Pegasus to a back room that connected to the kitchen. "What's in there?"

Pegasus held it a bit closer to his side, "A surprise. One I don't think you'll expect."

Yugi shook his head as he put a tea kettle on. "I hope you're not giving me free cards. I mean, I wouldn't complain or anything, but I don't know if it's really fair."

"Really, Yugi-boy. If I flew all the way out here to give you free cards, I would hope you would accept them regardless!" Yugi blushed and Pegasus laughed, adding quickly, "Don't worry. They're not cards."

Pegasus looked around the room. The kitchen was clean but had the tell-tale sign of bachelor life in places. There were only a handful of dishes in the sink and the trash looked like it was in sore need of being taken out. On the dining table in the middle of the room were piles of duelist and trading card magazines, a few turned to full-page advertisements for tournaments, and a few comics that had that well-read look. He pulled up a chair at one of the few empty spots at the table, "Are you living here by yourself these days?"

"Not entirely by myself. Grandpa lives upstairs, but he's visiting Dr. Hopkins in America this month. They're doing a road trip or something, lots of outdoor camping and stuff. He loves that kind of thing. Anzu and I pretty much had the place to ourselves for a little while after Mom moved out, but then Anzu went off to Dance School in New York a couple months back. She's doing really well, but I sure do miss her."

He looked like it too. As soon as he mentioned Anzu, his whole demeanor changed as he pulled out a pair of mugs from one of the cupboards. Yugi was so short he had to climb up on the bottom cabinet to reach the ones up top. Pegasus motioned to the booklets that covered the majority of the table. "I see you're still tournamenting."

"Whenever I can," Yugi beamed. "It's a great way to see my friends and meet some really good duelists. They're some really good strategies I've seen along the way." He dropped in a pair of tea bags and brought the mugs over to the table.

"From what I hear you're still undefeated, am I right?"

Yugi shrugged, "Yeah, officially I guess. Joey's beat me a few times in some fun duels, but he refuses to go against me in any of the official tournaments. Says it wouldn't be fair or something. I think he's just scared to take on the title, but really I think he deserves it. He's worked really hard. Did you know he and Mai are living together now? I don't know if they're planning on getting married or not, Joey says the married life looks better on me than on him."

"I'm sensing a pattern," Pegasus shook his head. "It's interesting how some things never change, isn't it?"

The tea kettle whistled and Yugi poured the hot water over their two mugs, then sat down across from him. "I really appreciate you coming by, Pegasus. I hardly ever have any of the old gang drop in any more."

Pegasus shifted in his chair as he stirred his tea. "I was hardly ever part of your gang, Yugi, but I appreciate the sentiment. I would like to say this is just a friendly visit to catch up, but I'm afraid that isn't the case." He pushed aside some of the magazines on the table and pushed the briefcase flat. "We've discovered that there might be a problem with the Items, or rather, with the spirits that used to inhabit the Items."

Yugi's eyes went wide as steam drifted off his cup, "What do you mean?"

"I think we made a mistake when we sent the Pharoah to the other side."

"Atem," Yugi whispered.

"I'm sorry?"

"His name was Atem. You don't have to call him Pharoah."

Pegasus nodded, "Atem then, my apologies. My point is, Yugi, that I believe we were duped into sending him to the other side, when really we trapped him. I'm not sure why that happened, or where he actually is, but the Eye told me that he's in danger. Something is feeding off of his energy, and we'll need all of the Item holders present to release him."

Yugi sat up a bit straighter and cocked his head to the side. "The Eye. So you put it back in."

Pegasus had a large section of his hair carefully hiding the left side of his face. Yugi hadn't even noticed it until that point. Pegasus lifted the hair out of the way and revealed the Eye beneath. The skin around it was still pink and swollen, but the Eye had not changed. Not that Yugi expected it to, but on Pegasus it looked timeless and ageless. Despite the fact that he had expected to see it, the sight of the Eye on Pegasus was still jarring. Yugi felt his pulse go faster and he might have jumped a little bit. His eyes settled on the briefcase again with less amusement than he had before.

He and Atem had thought they were doing the right thing when they had dueled each other years ago. When the Pharoah vanished into that portal where the High Priest and all the other anicent Egyptian Item Holders were standing, Yugi had thought it was the best thing. It hurt, but it was a necessary pain. It was alright because it was what the Pharoah needed. Now though, knowing that he had possibly trapped his best friend in another plane of existence, and subjected him to some unknown torture filled him with grief and guilt. He couldn't have known though, he knew that much, but it also meant that even sitting here drinking tea with Pegasus was wasting valuable time. The Pharoah could be in pain right now, and here he was reading duelist magazines and attending tournaments.

"What do I need to do?"

Pegasus nodded and opened up the briefcase. Inside glinted most of the Millennium Items, but Yugi's eyes fell on the Puzzle immediately. The last time he saw it, the Pharoah had departed. He could tell he was no longer there because it felt so very empty. It felt like nothing more than a golden block on a chain and his eyes welled up.

"Yugi-boy, what's wrong?"

A tear slid down his cheek, "It's still empty. It doesn't have any of the spark that it did when I first got it. It feels… abandoned."

Pegasus took Yugi's hand in his, "If we can help him, then it won't be abandoned for long, alright?"

The tears were flowing freely though and Yugi dug his eyes into his palms as his body shook with sobs. He felt terrible for leaving the Pharoah there, that he would have to take up the empty Puzzle again, but most of all, seeing the Puzzle again made the grief come back again. He missed Atem so much. Despite his wedding to Anzu, despite now being the owner of the Comic Shop, and despite all the tournaments he won, none of it could fill the emptiness in his heart.

He felt incomplete without him. Never before had it felt so potent as it did now.

When his eyes dried, he felt Pegasus behind him, rubbing his back and staring at him with worry. It was embarrassing, crying like this in front of the creator of his favorite game. He didn't think Pegasus could understand what it felt like to have part of your heart removed when someone left, but then again, maybe he did. Pegasus gave him another tissue. At some point he had found a box of them and brought them into the room. Yugi didn't even know they had any.

"Are you alright?" He whispered.

Yugi nodded, not quite trusting himself to talk yet, but he did get to his feet and reach out for the Puzzle.

"Are you sure you're ready for it?" Pegasus asked, putting a hand out as though to stop him, but pausing in the last instant.

Yugi sniffled, "As ready as I can be. I just want to get it over with." He picked up the Puzzle by the chain and looped it over his head. The chain felt cold on his skin and the Puzzle rested against his chest; silent and as empty as an abandoned tomb. Yugi felt the tug of tears again but pushed them away. The Puzzle did nothing to test him, it didn't even acknowledge him, it was as though it had been reduced to nothing more than a golden bauble. Though maybe that was part of the trap that the Pharoah was now in, rendering the Puzzle useless.

"I don't feel anything," Yugi whispered. "It doesn't even feel like it knows me."

Pegasus frowned, "That's entirely different from the experience I had. I had to fight to get the Eye back, as though it belonged to someone else."

Yugi sniffled and took a deep breath. "I need to talk to Joey. He'll want to be there too."

Pegasus cocked his head to the side, "Just understand that I don't think it's necessary for him to come, Yugi. He isn't an Item Holder, so he doesn't need to be involved if you don't want him to be."

"I need him there though," Yugi gave a weak chuckle. "I need his help with this, and besides, he'd kill me if I didn't."


	3. Back Home

Ishizu would have been happy to never again see that horrible hatch that led down to her childhood home. The sand still clouded the air even after Rishid put the Jeep into park. She stayed put while he got out to get the tools. Neither of them said a word, but the air was thick with what they couldn't say. They both had terrible memories of this place, and although Rishid would never admit it, Ishizu knew that he was as reluctant to come here as she.

Only a few years ago Ishizu had sworn never to return to the place. Even when Pegasus reminded her how valuable the family records would be if she unearthed them made her burst into tears. She didn't want to think of this place as belonging to her family. If not for the responsibility of being a grave watcher, she would have been happy to completely cut ties with all of it.

But that simply was not possible. Especially not now.

Rishid donned his pack, filled mostly with digging supplies and lanterns, and laid hers out in the back seat. "Are you ready?"

She unbuckled her seat belt and stepped out of the Jeep. "I don't think I ever will be."

He helped her get the pack on, then put a hand on her arm. "You can stay behind if you want. I don't mind heading in alone."

It was a tempting offer, but she shook her head. "I wouldn't make you go down alone. It's been years. There's no telling what's living down there now."

"Or who."

Her blood chilled at the thought of some thief or murderer living down in that dark place. Her father would have been livid at the thought. She watched Rishid remove his gun and check to make sure it was loaded. His hands shook. She wondered if Marik had been able to join them, if he would have given them both more strength. She would never wish Marik to have to visit this place again though. His past had left him so scarred that it was a miracle he was still with them.

The hatch that led down had been covered with sand from the years of disuse. The desert had a way of reminding you of how much time had passed. If anything was left unattended for too long, it would be swallowed whole. It took them a few minutes to find the pulley system that opened the large wooden door, but Rishid was able to dig it out. The large iron handle was how they had left it: closed and abandoned. He then went about clearing sand off of the hatch itself.

"Do you want me to lift it?"

He nodded and tossed aside another shovel full of sand. The sun was high now and the sweat gleamed on his forehead. "Yes, it should be light enough now." He bundled the shovel back in his pack and removed the gun again. She waited until he had it out and was standing in front of the hatch before pushing the lever open. It was stuck at first, but that often happened with the sun beating down on it all day. She angled herself then pushed again. The hatch popped up with a loud creak and billows of sand rolled off the back. She then joined Rishid and pulled out a flash light. The beam of light shined all the way down to the base of the stairs. The sand had partly covered many of the steps. Ishizu could still recall having to sweep them daily from all that blasted sand.

The place looked empty, at least from here, and Rishid pulled out his own flashlight and hooked it onto his belt. Together they began their descent. Rishid took his time as they went down. It was a long way to fall if the sand shifted beneath your feet. Ishizu put a hand out to help steady herself, but jerked it back when she felt the spiderwebs along the wall.

_Spiders_, she thought. _Father__'__s tomb would attract spiders._

"Be cautious," Rishid said. "It looks like they've started taking this place for themselves." He moved the flashlight and they could see the webbing that strung down along the wall all the way down the stairwell. Ishizu just had to hope that the entire place hadn't been overrun with them. If there were spiders here, then rodents and snakes might not be far off. Here she had thought the most dangerous problem here would be the memories.

She and Rishid clasped arms and took their time descending the rest of the way. They went along the center of the passage for fear of disrupting the creatures living along the walls. Once they reached the lowest floor, the sand had all but vanished and the walls had hardly any web. The creatures must have been eating whatever was able to crawl in from outside. There would likely be other areas that were infested, but she could probably guess where they would be. At least the entire tunnel hadn't been overrun with them.

"Where would the scriptures be?" Even though Rishid whispered, his voice still bounced off the walls. Nothing was ever secret here. When she was a child the idea that walls could talk didn't seem so very far fetched.

Ishizu's gaze fell on the entrance to the room where the Millennium Items were kept, and where her father had died, but she avoided it. Instead she turned to her right, and shined the light down the long, lonesome hallway. Occasionally she would spot tiny bits of movement, a few shadows scurried along against the wall, but she knew what those were. There were more rodents than she had thought there would be though, considering how long it had been since anyone lived here. It put her more on edge, and she started eying the shadows with more dread. She could deal with rats and other rodents, but if there was indeed someone living down here, that was entirely different.

They walked down the tunnel, their footsteps echoing down the stone walls. Archways loomed over them along either side, rooms that used to have candles burning all day now were dark and foreboding. It was odd the way you lost sense of time down here. Underground you forgot that it was a brilliant sunny day in the desert above you. There could be dust storms, pillagers, wars, but it would never touch you down here. There was something comforting about that: to know that there was a place they could go to abandon the world above ground, but so much about that thought made her skin crawl. There were very few pleasures in life when all you saw were the bare walls that caged you.

Eventually they reached the farthest corridor, lined with stone shelves and books covered in dust. The spiders didn't reach back this far, and when she shined the flashlight along the base of the room, she didn't even see any droppings. It didn't look like anything living had been by here for years.

"It doesn't look any different," Rishid said with a small smile. It almost looked like relief. He probably would have been devastated to find out that the family history had been forgotten. Even though he was adopted, he took on the family traditions far more than either Ishizu or Marik did. She wondered if he'd been heartbroken when she had refused to come back here all those years ago.

"Everything is precisely where he left them," Ishizu said trying to prevent the bitterness in her voice. "He was always so particular about organization."

Rishid put up a few flood lights in various parts of the room to give the illusion of daylight. All it did though was show off the cobwebs and the thick layer of dust that covered everything. Ishizu pulled down three heavy tomes and stacked them on the floor while Rishid unfolded a couple of chairs.

She glanced at them with annoyance, "We don't really need those, do we?"

He paused with two hands on the back of a chair, his eyes wide. "I thought you wanted to look over them first."

"No. I want to spend as little time down here as possible."

He looked away, obviously upset but not saying why. It was typical of him, and some days it would drive her mad.

"What is it? Surely you don't want to spend that long down here. I hate this place." Her words hovered in the room like thick dust.

He nodded, "Yes, but I was hoping… I wanted to see Father before we left."

Ishizu had been making a pile, but stopped at his words. The idea of visiting him again, deep in that crypt that was even farther underground, made her mouth go dry. She put a hand out to lean against the stone shelves. Yes, Father had died in a terrible manner, but that didn't mean she wanted to visit him. If his wishes had been granted in life, she and Rishid would have been forced into marriage, and she would be no more than a vessel to carry the next generation of tomb watchers. Father was a deplorable man, held fast by his own decrepit beliefs that gave him an insufferable sort of immorality. Then she saw Rishid's face.

His brow was furrowed and his face gleamed with sweat in the stale light. Even now that he had grown nearly another foot since they left this place so many years ago, he still looked as lost as a child as he stood in front of her. Tears had welled in his eyes, and he crouched down beside her with his head bowed in apology. "I never got to say my good-byes to him," he whispered.

Ishizu tied a flashlight to her waist and picked up the stack of books. "You had the chance to see him off when we entombed him. I have no interest in paying any more respect to him." She headed out into the hall, but Rishid followed.

"I was confused, sister. I didn't know what I wanted and I wasn't sure what to believe. As much as I want to hate Father, he rescued me when no one else would."

Ishizu couldn't believe she was listening to this. Didn't Rishid see the scars that still marred his back to this day? Had he not seen the scars that Father had inflicted on Marik which still haunted him? "Father would have killed you that day if Marik hadn't appeared. You owe him your life more than you owe it to Father."

He got silent at that. They walked together down the long dark hallway. This was only the first of many trips they would have to make to the scripture room. They only had three of the tomes; there must have been upwards of fifty in the room. When they finished their first trip, and they had made their way through the spiderweb stairwell and up into the intense heat and sunlight, Ishizu found herself a bit more agreeable. As she watched Rishid carefully put paper in between the tomes to prevent them from being damaged and laid them with care in one of the many boxes they had brought, she began to feel guilty. Really this was as difficult for him as it was for her, he just had a very different way of showing it.

She would become bitter and vile at the very mention of Father. Rishid on the other hand viewed the past in a far more favorable light despite the fact that he had perhaps the worst of it. He would push aside the memories of abuse and terror, and focused on the good times, despite how dim and distant they might be. She had to admire that in him. He had been adopted into a family of violent pessimists, and somehow had turned out a complete optimist.

He pulled out a pair of water bottles and handed her one. They sat down inside the Jeep and drank deep. The arid landscape didn't offer much to look at other than the abandoned ruins, and the heat was nearly unbearable, but the daylight was a marvelous. She had forgotten how much she loved sunlight until she was down there. Too often she took it for granted.

"I tell you what," she said at last. "If we do about ten more of these trips, we'll go visit Father. How does that sound?"

He took another long drink from his bottle. He'd already nearly finished it, so it was good that they had brought so many. "We don't have to go if you don't want to. I don't want to force you into anything."

She put a hand on his shoulder, which was moist with sweat. "It's alright. I never properly said my good-byes either. You know some days I like to pretend that I'm not related to him at all."

Rishid put an arm around her and squeezed tight.

"It isn't true of course, but I do like to pretend. It makes it easier."

"The easy way is rarely the right way."

She smiled, "Is that why you insisted we do this ourselves instead of bringing help?"

He smiled, all traces of the nervous boy gone again. "That is called discretion. It's entirely different."


	4. Lunch Date

It had been almost ten minutes since the waitress handed him the menu to look over, and although Ryou stared at it, he could care less what he ordered. Every time the door to the cramped little diner opened, he peeked two eyes over the top of his menu to see who it was. He wasn't sure why he felt so jumpy. It was just Marik after all. It wasn't like it was the police or some detective come to question him about stolen items from years ago. Just Marik. Besides wasn't it supposed to be a date?

Ryou took a sip of his ice water and wiped a sweaty hand off on his jeans. Maybe that was what really put him on edge. Since when did Marik ever have an interest in him? His great, creepy love affair had been with the Thief after all, not Ryou. They had talked occasionally back then, but never much. Ryou could never tell if Marik actually liked him or if he just put up with him. Then during Battle City, Marik's good half had shared a spot in his mind, the three of them crowded into a home that was only meant to hold one spirit. Marik had been good enough about it, but in the end it hadn't saved Ryou's body. It had been devoured by the Shadow Realm, and only with the Thief's help were they able to piece it back together again. Sometimes Ryou still had nightmares about it, floating in darkness with eyes floating around them, and giant sleeping behemoths floating by in the distance. He wasn't sure how long he had floated there in the Shadow Realm, but it felt like an eternity.

The Thief had blocked all those memories off for him when he felt it was safe for them to return to Kaiba's blimp. He hadn't wanted to return him until Marik's dark half was defeated for fear of the spirit targeting them again. The Thief didn't think they could handle another assault like that, and Ryou was happy to agree with him. Then the Thief erased all his memory of the place, or rather blocked it off. Mortal minds weren't made to spend such a long time there, cut off from the real world. He was afraid it would drive Ryou mad. The memory manipulations seemed to have worked well until the Thief left him.

The diner door opened again and in walked Marik, his golden skin still taut against lean muscles. He had his hair cut short, maybe a little longer than it had been before, and his fashion sense hadn't changed much. He was wearing a tattered fluorescent pink belly shirt above a pair of khaki pants that hugged his hips and legs. He was older though, Ryou could see it in his eyes as Marik took off his sunglasses and scanned the room. There was a seriousness about him that he hadn't had two years ago, as though he'd matured in that time. Maybe they both had grown up a little.

Then Marik found him and his face lit up with a genuine smile. He made his way over and instead of sitting down opposite him in the booth, leaned over the table and gave Ryou an awkward hug, tangling a hand in his hair. It was unsettling and comforting at the same time. Ryou hadn't expected it, but something about Marik's embrace made him calmer and when Marik pulled away Ryou was smiling back at him.

"Ryou, it's so good to see you again!" Marik sat down across from him, leaning both elbows on the table with an infectious grin. "How have you been? It feels like I haven't seen you in ages!"

"I've been alright, I guess. It has been a while, hasn't it?"

"_Years_. It might as well be decades!" He picked up the menu and glanced over it, "Wow, they've moved everything around, haven't they?"

Ryou shook his head, "Did you think they wouldn't change anything?"

"I was kind of hoping they wouldn't. Oh, there it is! Whew, was hoping they hadn't gotten rid of my ham and cheese special!"

He pushed the menu aside and put a hand out. Ryou glanced at it a moment, uncertain, but Marik's smile turned into a grin, and that gave Ryou the courage to take his hand. Marik dragged a thumb tenderly over the back of his hand and against his knuckles. Whatever anxiety Ryou had felt about seeing him again slowly melted away as Marik caressed his hand. Somehow the lonely nights, the disturbing urges, and panic attacks seemed far away and unimportant.

"What have you been up to?" Ryou asked, leaning a chin on his free hand.

"I'm running my own bar now, can you believe it? Sister didn't think it would work, she said I was too easily distracted, which isn't entirely wrong. I went through two other bars before I finally settled on this one."

"Two of them. What happened?"

Marik's shoulders slumped and he looked away quickly, "I guess I got mixed up with the wrong crowd there for about a year or so. She and Rishid both thought I was going to either overdose, drink myself to death, or…" His smile disappeared for a moment as shame washed over him, "Or I'd end up sleeping with someone that would really hurt me. They were right, of course."

Ryou squeezed his hand and Marik brightened a bit. The waitress came by and took their orders. Marik got his ham and cheese special and Ryou got a large house salad. He wasn't terribly hungry, but he didn't want to look rude. Only when the waitress departed did Marik continue, "One night, I was down at an S&amp;M joint and-"

Ryou tensed, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, it's okay. I'm not ashamed about it or anything. It's actually kind of funny now."

Ryou forced a supportive smile, but he could still see the pain in his friend's eyes.

"I was really drunk that night, and didn't think anything of it when the guy wanted to tie me up and blindfold me. Next thing I knew, the guy had stolen my wallet and locked me in the room. I must have been hanging there for a few hours because I blacked out."

"My God, Marik! You could have been killed!"

He squeezed Ryou's hand and let go to clasp his hands in front of him. "I know. I can't tell you the number of times Ishizu or Rishid have reminded me of that too. I wasn't carrying much that day, but when they found me in the morning and cut me loose, and I was puking all over the ground, I realized I'd fallen too low. I'd lost myself. I imagined what I would have thought seeing myself when I was a kid living underground and watching Rishid get tortured all the time, and you know what I realized? I was a spoiled ass. Here I was given the chance to do something with myself, to do something for my family, and what do I do? Pay complete strangers to beat me all night in the hopes that I could get off for a few minutes."

Marik wiped his eyes with his palms and drank on his water for a moment. Ryou watched him in silence, for the first time really understanding where his friend was coming from. They shared so much in common, but he wasn't sure how to tell him. His darkness was far worse than Marik's bad night. Even if he did tell him, could he trust him not to blab it? They hadn't exactly been close before, but here he was talking about perhaps one of the most humiliating moments in his life. They had barely spoken a greeting.

_I look so much like the Thief,_ Ryou thought, _that he can__'__t help himself. He sees me and I'm almost him, and suddenly the words start flowing from his lips. I don't even have to say anything. _If Ryou was a more callous man he might have used that power to sway him, but he didn't want that power. Unlike Marik or the Thief, Ryou never cared to have that kind of power. He just wanted to be left alone so he could do what he wanted, and not be questioned when creepy things started happening.

"You got the salad, right Ryou?"

He looked up to see the waitress giving him an annoyed expression and Marik grinning at him in embarrassment. There he was getting lost inside himself again, tangled up in his own thoughts and not realizing that the world was moving past him. "Yes, I did," he whispered.

They ate, Marik talking with excitement about running his own bar, and all the new drinks he'd learned how to make. Ryou barely nibbled at his salad while Marik ate most of the sandwich and fries. The man always did have a crazy appetite. Some things didn't really change much, did they?

_But I__'__ve changed_, he thought. _I__'__ve changed so much that he might not like who I've turned into. _He thought of his hundreds of wood carvings at home, at the knives in his desk, and the disturbing urges he fought against. If he couldn't tell Marik about these things, who else could he talk to?

"Marik, I-"

"Oh!" Marik exclaimed, nearly choking on a fry. "I can't believe I almost forgot to mention it. I guess I got really excited to see you again." Was that a bit of a blush coming up his cheeks? "The whole reason I wanted to see you again!"

Ryou frowned. So he hadn't just wanted to see him? Oh yes, he had mentioned something about the Millennium Items, hadn't he?

"Pegasus said the Eye was trying to get in touch with him, so he went in and dug up the Items. All of them."

Ryou felt his mouth go dry, but kept quiet.

"I had to help him put it back in again. Let me tell you, that was way more disgusting than I thought it would be." He lowered his voice to a whisper, "There was so much _blood_!"

A tremor went down his spine at the word. His pulse was throbbing in his ears.

"Anyway, we don't think the Pharoah actually crossed over. It's a long story, but pretty much he was never supposed to leave this world. Everything regarding that part, we think it was added in later. Someone actually interfered with the Grave Watcher rituals and inserted that just to make sure the Pharoah would be trapped there."

Ryou was staring at the condensation on his glass of water, trying to force back the blackness that was forming on the edge of his vision. "What about the Thief?" His voice was dry and distant.

"Same thing. We think he's trapped there too."

Trapped there too. What a simple way to put it. The Thief wasn't dead then? He hadn't moved beyond their world and beyond Ryou's grasp. His heart swelled at the thought and a mixture of relief and pain swept over him. His eyes welled with tears and his throat constricted. He felt a hand brush against his and looked up at Marik. He was leaning across the table and he was staring at him with concern.

His voice sounded like it was playing from a muffled speaker, "Are you alright? You look a little pale."

Ryou waved Marik's hand away and pushed himself up to his feet. His hands were moist and sweat poured from his temples. The world was spinning, but he knew if he could just make it to the restroom he would be alright. "I'm fine," he muttered, but just as he turned away from the booth his knees buckled beneath him.

In the distance he heard Marik call his name. Then everything fell to darkness.


	5. One Dramatic Apartment

Pegasus drove them to Joey's apartment complex, which was on the other side of Domino City. Although he repeatedly said that his vehicle was "low key", Yugi couldn't help but think that a speeding white convertible through the streets of downtown Domino would attract attention. Pegasus drove like an American, or at least how Yugi always envisioned Americans must drive. Everyone he knew who was born and raised in the states drove like they were on a racetrack most of the time: Mai, Duke, and now Pegasus. Yellow lights were pushed to their limits, stop signs turned into yield signs, and even though Pegasus never once forgot which side of the road he needed to drive on, Yugi found himself clutching the door the entire drive.

By the time they reached the apartments, Yugi was grateful to feel solid ground under his feet, despite his wobbly legs. Pegasus seemed refreshed by the drive, and laughed when he saw the way Yugi leaned against the chassis of the car for a minute.

"Really, Yugi-boy! I don't drive that fast."

"You drive way faster than my grandpa does! Or my mom."

He smiled, "Well I should hope so!" He pulled the briefcase out of the back seat and they headed toward the apartment entrance.

Yugi glanced from him to the briefcase, "Why are you bringing that with you?"

Pegasus had to slow his gait so that he was walking beside Yugi instead of in front of him, and lowered his voice down to a whisper. "You do realize the amount of gold I'm carrying around, don't you? When you're carrying cargo this precious, you simply can't be too careful."

If he was so worried, why hadn't he brought bodyguards with him? Like that guy with the mustache that had been at Duelist Kingdom, what was his name? Croquet? He knew that Pegasus hadn't wanted to attract too much attention, which made sense when you were famous worldwide and carrying a bunch of gold artifacts, but surely a couple of bodyguards would have made sense.

Joey and Mai stayed on the third floor of a large ten story behemoth, and they had to park almost on the street since the parking lot was so full of cars. The sun was bright and cheerful, but that changed quickly once they stepped inside the apartment complex. It was an older building, and although it looked like there had been some attempt to put in a few large windows, the sunlight was still cut off by shelves and furniture that seemed to have been placed to do just that. The carpet was a heavy red, black and white pattern, but had faded and flattened over use. The front desk to the side was unmanned and other than the occasional bump from upstairs, or the distant roar of a truck going by outside, the place was empty.

It certainly wasn't the cleanest or nicest place to live, but other than a few suspicious characters, Yugi had found most of the tenants he had met to be rather nice. There was an older man that lived on the floor with Joey and Mai who looked like he would rather spit at you than say hello, but that was merely because his place had gotten broken into so many times that he just hated strangers in general. After a few times of visiting, Yugi had brought him some comic books from the shop, and the two had spent a whole afternoon discussing Wolverine's checkered past.

They took the elevator in silence, and Yugi noticed the way Pegasus clutched as the handle of the suitcase with both hands now. The elevator jerked suddenly and Pegasus had to thrust a hand out to keep from toppling over. Yugi was used to it. They stepped off on the third floor, and Pegasus looked just as shaken as Yugi had been getting out of his convertible.

Yugi put a hand on his arm, "You okay?"

"Yes," he muttered and flashed a smile. "It's probably a rather rude assumption for me to have made," he said in a lowered voice, "but I thought that two professional duelists would be able to have a better establishment than this."

"Well Mai doesn't really tournament anymore." Pegasus narrowed an eye at him, and Yugi continued a bit more hesitantly. "She hasn't participated in an official tournament for over a year now. I think she's been too embarrassed by everything that happened with Doma a couple of years back. She and Valon didn't really part on good terms, and she's been a little on edge ever since."

"I thought, I mean, I assumed that she and Joey were a couple now."

Yugi shrugged, "I don't know if it's really that simple. I think Joey wants them to be a couple, but they're more like very good friends."

Pegasus nodded, "Ah," but Yugi could tell by the way his eyebrows knotted together that he didn't really understand. Yugi couldn't really blame him. Trying to understand how Joey and Mai worked was a full time job. Anzu had mentioned when she went to New York that it was kind of a relief not to have that drama going on all the time.

They turned down a few corners. The carpet here was just as ugly as it had been downstairs, except that where it had just been matted downstairs, here there were the occasional bald spots, holes, or random burns. The hallway itself was far too narrow, and the only source of light were the yellow bulbs that hung from the ceiling. At least half of them weren't working, and there was maybe one that still had the casing that surrounded the bulb. They finally reached the door and Yugi gave it a light knock.

The hallway was silent other than their breathing. A minute passed, then two. Yugi was about to knock again as Pegasus checked his watch, when the door knob turned and a very gruff Joey poked his head out. "Hello?" He murmured then gave a big yawn.

Yugi chuckled, "Hi Joey! How have you been?"

Joey opened his eyes wide as he looked down at his friend with sudden clarity. "Yugi! I didn't know you were coming by today? How are you?" He put an arm around Yugi's shoulders and pulled him close. Ever since Joey had started working the night shift delivering packages, he had packed on plenty of muscle, much to Yugi's annoyance as he was dragged into a friendly headlock. Then Joey spotted Pegasus, and froze.

"Pegasus! What are you doing here?"

He put his hands up, "Not so loud, please? No need to let the world know I'm here."

"Oh, right!" Joey released Yugi finally and motioned them both inside.

The apartment was cozy, and the large window at the far end of their cramped living room had been left wide open to allow as much sunlight in as possible. It looked like they had even repainted the place, though the carpet was a sad tan berber. Pegasus wasn't sure if such improvements were allowed, but it certainly looked nicer in here than it had in any other part of the building. There were a few potted plants placed around the room, along with piles of dirty laundry that could probably be matched up to Joey's exact path throughout the room each day: some socks in front of the TV, a jacket on the floor by the door, some pants hanging on the doorknob that led to the bathroom. Despite his new life with Mai, he didn't look too keen on cleaning up his habits very quickly.

A football game was on the small television, probably recorded from the night before, and Joey quickly rushed in to pick up three or four empty beer bottles and rush them into the kitchen. "Want me to get you guys anything? I swear there's more than just beer to drink."

Yugi went and fetched a soda from one of the cabinets near the door. He offered one to Pegasus who politely shook his head. He still had two hands on the briefcase, but he looked much more relaxed than he had out in the hallway. Joey picked up a messy pile of duelist magazines and card catalogs off the dining room table and dropped them down onto the floor before pulling out a few chairs. He was dressed in a white tank top, gray sweat pants, and a pair of grungy socks, but he sat down at the table like a perfect host despite the fact that he had obviously been asleep.

"So what's going on guys? It must be serious if Pegasus is here. Something to do with the God Cards, maybe?" Joey couldn't hide the big grin on his face as he chugged from a bottle of water.

Yugi took a seat beside him and Pegasus followed suite, a tad reluctantly.

"No, not the God Cards," Yugi said. "It's more serious than that. I didn't know you worked last night or I would have called. I'm sorry if we woke you."

"Aw, no big deal, Yug!" He hooked an elbow over the back of his chair and turned to the back hallway, "Mai's actually getting ready for work. I pulled a long night yesterday, so I've got tonight off. It's a good thing too, cause I'm damn tired." He gave another big yawn.

Pegasus placed the briefcase on the table. "We wouldn't have bothered you two unless it was urgent." That seemed to grab Joey's attention again, and he leaned over the table. Pegasus sat back in his chair and templed his fingers, as though about to give an important speech. "A few weeks back, I felt the Millennium Eye calling me. I followed it to Egypt and unearthed it from where Ishizu and Marik had buried it." He placed a palm against the briefcase as though weighing the power within. "We have almost every one of them here now. All except the Eye and the Necklace."

"And I assume you're wearing the Eye right now, aren't you?" Mai's voice cut through the stillness of the room. She was leaning against the door frame that led to the back hall looking displeased. She was wearing a low-cut white blouse under a tight-fitting black vest and equally tight-fitting black pants. Her leather fingerless gloves exposed her ruby painted fingernails which matched her lipstick and earrings. If you didn't know she had recently taken on a job at the newly opened casino riverboat, you would think it was simply her latest fashion choice. Except Mai would have rather exposed her legs instead of wearing pants.

The Domino Royale was the first casino to be allowed in Japan, and having had experience on a showboat in the past, Mai was quick to get hired. Sure she had to work as a dealer, but she also got to duel on occasion and show off her skills against those less fortunate who didn't recognize her name until it was too late. Sometimes if nights were really slow, she would send a text to Joey or Yugi and ask them to drop in for a fun duel. Some fans would hang around the boat weekly for a chance to catch a glimpse of Yugi, or Mai's popular duelist boyfriend Joey. Although she no longer dueled in tournaments around the world, she had carved a name for herself as the top duelist on the showboat just in the six weeks she had been working there. There was also the promise of a substantial raise in her future if she could keep having her top duelist friends dropping in. Mokuba even said once that he would try to get his brother to drop in, though Yugi wasn't going to hold his breath.

Pegasus frowned, unconsciously making sure his hair hid his left eye. "Yes, I am. As I said, I didn't have much of a choice. The Eye-"

"Are you sure that was the case, or did you just want the power again?" Mai stalked forward, her hands on her hips looking like she was ready to tear him to pieces. Most men would have backed away, but Pegasus sat unmoved.

Joey put an arm out and slinked it around her waist, getting to his feet to stand up between them. He started rubbing Mai's shoulders, "Calm down, okay? No need to bite his head off."

Mai's gaze could have sparked fire. "Do you even remember what happened the last time he had that thing? Not only did he put the Kaiba brothers into cards, but he also put Yugi's grandfather in one! I get why Yugi trusts him, Joey, but I thought you were a little more cautious than this."

Yugi looked away, not wanting to raise her anger any further. Joey sighed, grabbed Mai by the wrist, and dragged her to the back of the hallway near the laundry room. They thought they were out of earshot, but Yugi could still hear them clearly.

"Look, I know you don't like him much, but the guy's barely stepped through the door and you're jumping down his throat! Give him a little bit of slack, won't you?"

Mai pushed his hands aside, "I just don't understand why everyone's quick to trust Pegasus, but I'm some kind of witch by comparison. You and your friends will always be judging me, Joey. And don't even try to deny it. I can see it in Yugi's eyes."

"That's not fair!" Joey hissed.

Yugi sighed and turned away so that he didn't have to listen to their bickering any more. Mai really hadn't been the same since Valon broke up with her. She and Joey were together more out of convenience these days. Joey loved her, but Mai always did have trouble seeing that after Marik tortured her in the Shadow Realm. It was like she never really got over it, and ever since she'd been in a downward spiral. He hadn't expected her to jump on Pegasus, but it made sense. She had purposely targeted Pegasus for Darts' group, thinking that he would be easy to take down. She still didn't quite see how it made Yugi and his friends trust Pegasus more. He was the victim there, not her. Sometimes Mai got so caught up in herself that she couldn't see past it.

Pegasus was drumming his fingers on the edge of the table, his gaze distant. "I shouldn't have come. This would have all been much easier if I had let you fetch Joey on your own. This was simply a bad idea all around."

"Don't say that," Yugi said. "You're part of our group, and more importantly, one of my friends. Just because Mai doesn't like you doesn't mean I'm going to leave you behind. She can say what she wants, but if she lets me visit, then she should let you too. If she kicks you out, I'm going with you."

"Yugi… It wasn't my intention to pit you against your friends."

"You're not. It's always like this when I start trying to get my friends to get along. Inevitably somebody's going to get heated over it. Though I'll admit, it's usually Joey and Kaiba that have more trouble. I hadn't expected Mai to get upset like this."

"Excuse me," Mai growled as she clomped across the kitchen in her heeled boots. She picked her keys off the rack and slung a bag over her shoulder. "I guess you won't be home for a few days then, Joey? I mean, I'm assuming Yugi and Pegasus are here to spirit you off to Egypt or some place ridiculous."

Pegasus gave a heavy sigh, not turning to look at her as he answered. "We'll have to go to Egypt, so it might be a few weeks."

Yugi saw the disappointment sweep across Mai's face and then disappear into her mask of anger once again. He had seen that trick before. It took a long time for him to recognize it when his Mom did it. Joey was practically an expert at it, and Kaiba too sometimes. Her anger wasn't really anger, it was just a show to keep them from seeing her pain. Yugi wasn't entirely sure what was bothering her, but he also knew this wasn't the time nor the place to mention it. Something about Pegasus being nearby put her into a frenzy and just as she was about to walk out the door, Joey ran by in socked feet, nearly toppling over in the kitchen, to grab her hand.

"Wait! If I'm heading across the world, surely you can spare me a kiss, right?"

Mai's stony face chipped into a sad smile and her eyes misted over for a moment. She pulled Joey into an embrace and they kissed for a long time. Then she finally pulled away and dragged her fingers through his messy hair.

"Don't get yourself hurt, okay?"

"I'll try. Just don't forget to call when you can."

They held hands for a moment longer before Mai turned away. Yugi thought he saw a tear slide down her cheek before Joey shut the door behind her.

Anzu was right: Joey and Mai's relationship was just constant drama. New York must have felt like a vacation.


	6. Eavesdropping

Apparently assuming it would only take ten trips to recover all the tomes from the scripture room was quite an understatement. Ishizu and Rishid had both made at least fifteen trips below, and they each had just one final trip to make. For the first few trips they had stayed together, helped each other with the stairs, and kept each other company. As their arms got tired though and the work more exhausting, they began to separate more. As they neared the end, Ishizu began to dread visiting their father's tomb, which made her take her time with the last two piles.

Both had given up on the pretense of silence by this point. After hours of moving books through an insect and rodent infested cavern, they simply didn't care who heard them anymore. Ishizu had descended the steps for the final two books that were just too awkward to stack with the rest of them. Rishid called down to her from the mouth of the stairwell. "I'm going to pull out the water bottles we have left. Do you want me to accompany you?"

It was a polite request, not one he really wished to fulfill. If he had, he would have asked her this before she had already descended the stairwell into the darkness. "I'm fine!" She called back, wincing slightly at how loud her voice seemed down here. The echoes gave the illusion of volume.

Rishid didn't argue with her, and she headed down the dark hallway that led to the scripture room. The flashlight gave her a small ring of light, but outside of that the darkness was thick. This place looked like a tomb. Her footsteps echoed along the walls and occasionally she would hear the high-pitched shriek of a surprised rat, or the scurrying of their tiny feet along the stone floor.

When she thought she had reached where the scripture room ought to be though, the darkness merely continued. She was tired though, perhaps she was simply eager to be done with the place. So she continued onward, pushing away the fear that increased with every step forward.

Then she heard the faint murmuring of voices.

She froze, her body went rigid and her heart leapt into her throat. How could anyone else be down here? She and Rishid had been down here for hours, how had they not heard them? In a panic that had been ingrained in her ever since childhood, she darted to a wall, crouched down, and pulled her skirt around to hide the light from her flashlight. She couldn't bring herself to turn it off completely, being in complete darkness down here terrified her more than the voices. If she was able to not be noticed, she might be able to slip back, using her skirts to prevent too much light from escaping, but it was worth it to not suddenly stumble down another stairwell or fall into some unexpected cavern. This place was riddled with traps and dangers.

Two figures emerged in the distance. She could see them clearly despite the fact that she saw no light source around them. The two men were dressed in simple white linen, which seemed odd at first, but families like hers would frequently wear simple garments for the sake of cost alone. One was a young man with long white hair that hung down to his shoulders. He looked vaguely familiar, but Ishizu couldn't place him. The other was a much older man. He leaned heavily on a staff and bent forward as he walked. A long hood hung over his face, but his voice was hoarse with an underlying bitterness that sometimes came with old age and a hard life.

"I'm not sure if I am entirely comfortable with this idea," the older man said. "It goes against my beliefs and those of my people."

"Forgive me for being so blunt, but your people are fools. They use their religion as an excuse to rob from the poor and to rape and murder as they wish. I think we've all come to terms with the fact that the Pharoah is gone for good."

The old man's hood lowered at his words. "The scripture does not say how long we are to wait for his resurrection."

"Do you really think a straggling band of inbred savages is going to do much good for him?" The young man paused and crossed his arms. The light caught his face, and Ishizu gasped. She recognized that man. The eyes were different, and the face was off from the one she had seen at Battle City, but it looked very much like Ryou Bakura. Had the Thief been living down here all this time? Her mind told her that was the only possible explanation but her heart urged against it. They were close enough to have heard her gasp, but neither of them turned to notice her.

"I do not know," the older man moved his staff in front of him and put two gnarled hands on its head. She could see the long white beard that seemed intent to mix with his dusty white robe. Ishizu studied his face, but she had no idea who he was. "I have always found it unfair that we are to bear this burden for a Pharoah who committed so many atrocities. You know, son, they called him the Evil Pharoah when I was a boy?"

"Tsh. Evil is a term those Christians are using these days to depict anything they don't like. I'm not a fan of it. However in this case I suppose it is well suited. From what I understand the Pharoah deserved to be trapped in that Puzzle. He deserved worse than that even. Which is why I came to you."

The old man stroked his beard and looked Bakura up and down. "I do not wish my family to bring a dark ruler into the world. If he is truly evil, then I think it would be best to have some alternate plan." Bakura's twin smiled, but the older gentleman held up a finger. "However, if he comes to save us from something even worse, if he is a just and fair Pharoah who was unrightly judged, then I would not want our family to be blemished."

"So what's your decision then? Do nothing, like your people have done for centuries? I don't think that's getting you anywhere."

"We'll include both. We will keep both tablets intact and-"

A weird scratching sound seemed to drown the man out. Ishizu leaned in. The two men were still talking, she could see their lips moving, but for some reason she could no longer hear them. Something was moving toward her along the sandy floor in a strange pattern, and Ishizu realized what it was. Nearly falling over since she was still clinging to her skirts, she darted backwards, swinging the flashlight in front of her on reflex. Something struck the the end of it, tossing shadows against the wall and making a brassy ding as she took several steps backward. Something long and tan slithered away down the hall just as she raised her flashlight.

It was a snake, possibly a horned viper if she had glimpsed the horns over its eyes right, which were poisonous. How long had she been crouching so close to it there in the darkness? A shudder tore through her, and then she remembered the two men. She looked around but there was no sign of them. In fact, the entrance to the scripture room was only a few feet away.

Ishizu took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves. She needed to get out of here. She turned and headed back toward the stairwell, calling for Rishid to bring his gun.

The two men must have been her second sight. Even though she hadn't taken up the Necklace, it had found a way to send her messages. The damn thing was almost as persistent as she was.


	7. Paramedics

Somehow he had landed on the floor. Ryou knew that much at least. His head was resting on the linoleum and he could see a stray napkin beneath the booth that he and Marik had been sitting at. People were crowding around him, but they still seemed distant, as though it was all being projected on a movie screen just for him. He could hear Marik's voice, but had no idea what he was saying. He sounded angry though.

Then Ryou was getting picked up and laid down again. He could see curious faces passing him by, strangers who were judging him. Maybe they thought he was sick, like those people you hear about in those commercials that have lived in a hospital bed their entire lives. They would never guess what he was truly capable of doing. All they saw was a scrawny, white-haired kid who looked like he couldn't possibly be a threat.

He was wheeled down the sidewalk and around a corner. The flashing red lights of the ambulance gleamed off the overhang above, and he caught Marik's gaze. He looked upset and he had an arm out holding Ryou's hand. That was funny, Ryou hadn't even felt it. Then one of the paramedics appeared in his vision and started trying to stab a needle into his arm. Normally Ryou hated needles, but it didn't feel so bad now. The other man strapped something onto his finger and he could hear little blips on a machine. Marik was answering questions, but Ryou still couldn't hear him very well. It felt like he was watching a foreign film with the volume turned too low. Something cold spread out from his wrist and pretty soon Ryou could make sense of their conversation.

"… hadn't seen him for a couple of years, but he never used to have any problems like this. Is he going to be alright?" Marik was standing a couple of feet away from the gurny with his arms folded over his chest. The posture didn't complement his belly shirt.

"Looks like he's starting to come around."

Marik walked up and put a hand on his leg, one of the few spots where it looked safe to stand since the paramedics kept hovering. "Ryou, can you hear me?"

"Sure," he gave a small smile, which Marik matched.

"Looks like you passed out there for a minute, Mr. Bakura. Have you ever been tested for anemia before?"

He waved a hand and tried to sit up, "I'm not anemic." The second paramedic, a young woman with short cropped hair, pushed him down again without much force. Apparently he wasn't going anywhere for a few minutes.

"Have you ever had something like this happen before?"

"Yes, but it isn't a big deal."

The paramedic walked around so that he could look Ryou in the eyes, "If it's happening regularly, sir, it could be. How many times has it happened?"

Ryou glanced to Marik who gave him a slight nod of encouragement. For some reason it helped Ryou answer. It shouldn't have made a difference, but it did. "This is the second time."

"Alright, and do you have any idea what might have caused it? Have you been drinking enough liquids, eating enough food, things like that?"

Did they think he was anorexic? The mere thought almost made him burst out laughing, but then he realized that sudden laughter would probably make him look quite crazy. "Yes, I think I just got upset."

"Is that what triggered it last time?"

He had to think about that for a moment. His mind felt sharper, but wasn't completely back to normal yet. It was still hard to form words too when he spoke. It had been in Egypt last time, after the Pharoah moved on. After the Thief died. A pang of sadness struck him, but he pushed it away. He had been with Yugi's friends at a hotel that night so they could take the flight back to Japan in the morning. Marik had offered him to stay at his house, but Ryou refused. He wasn't Marik's real lover, after all. The idea had made him uncomfortable, much like suddenly being alone in his skin again made him feel uncomfortable. That night was when true realization of the emptiness hit him. It had started with an episode very like this one, only he had woken up nearly four hours later on the floor of the bathroom.

It was bizarre because had the Thief been with him, he would have never left him on the floor like that. Even when they were arguing he wouldn't treat his body with such disrespect. Any denial he had that the Thief might have survived shattered when he woke up on the bathroom floor. He cried for hours, sitting in the shower with the hot water streaming down on him. When he had finally met up with Yugi and the others, he had tried his best not to talk to anyone. That was when he had decided to leave.

The paramedic shined a bright light in his eyes and the most Ryou could do was blink in frustration. "Did you hear me, sir?"

"I'm sorry?"

"His pupils look good and his vitals are getting better." He scribbled something down on a pad of paper. "Were you upset the last time this happened?"

"Yes, I guess so. What does that mean?"

The man gave him a genuine smile and that took the edge off a little. "It means you probably had a panic attack."

The woman took the needle out of his wrist, which actually hurt quite a bit this time, and unhooked the heartbeat monitor from his hand. The man helped him sit up and let him dangle his legs over the edge of the gurney for a few minutes.

"My advice is to just take it easy for a few days and try to relax more."

Marik was smiling at him, but Ryou couldn't bring himself to look him in the eyes. It would have been different if they had diagnosed him with a real problem, but just writing it off as a panic attack just made him angry. He guessed it would only take ten minutes before Marik started cracking jokes. Something along the lines of Ryou's frail constitution.

He wondered if the doctors noticed the anger in how he gripped the edge of the gurney. Though knowing his luck, they probably just thought he was afraid of falling to the pavement. It took several more minutes before the paramedics said he was allowed to leave, but before that there was the question of payment.

"Do you have any medical insurance, Mr. Bakura?"

He reached for his wallet, but Marik put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll take care of it."

Ryou gave him a glance, "You don't have to do that."

"The last thing you need to worry about is money right now. I'm the one who probably upset you. At least let me do something to make it up to you."

He nodded with a sigh and Marik started giving them his information to foot the bill. Marik knew he had a decent job and insurance of his own, but he just had to play the hero and pay for it. Ryou wasn't sure if Marik truly did feel bad for bringing on the panic attack, or if he just wanted to look like a super nice guy. Either way, Ryou found himself both impressed and slightly annoyed by it.

There were many things that Ryou had missed about Marik, but the ego wasn't one of them.


	8. Skeptics

For a moment the room was silent as Yugi and Pegasus glanced at each other. Joey leaned with his back against the door looking gloomy but more relaxed now that Mai had left. "Sorry about that guys. She gets edgy sometimes, and it's tough to calm her down."

"Really it's my fault," Pegasus sighed. "I was a little concerned that she would be upset to see me, I just didn't realize how upset."

"Why was she so mad anyway, Joey? I can't remember any time that Pegasus has done anything against her. Not since Duelist Kingdom, at least." Yugi asked as Joey settled down in a chair.

He leaned his elbows on the small table as he spoke, "I think she's never really gotten over those Doma creeps. They burned her pretty bad. Hell, she won't even sign up for the lower level tournaments anymore. She thinks she's an embarrassment. I think she still feels like an outcast around us, and Pegasus reminds her of that."

"Still I wish she wouldn't get mad at him," Yugi said as he dragged a finger along the Puzzle in his hands. "If anything, she should be mad at me for not stopping her duel with Marik." Memories of Battle City came back to him along with memories of the Pharoah. He dropped the Puzzle back against his chest again and took a sip of his soda.

"Yugi-boy, I will attest that it is not easy to stay mad at you for very long."

"So, er," Joey tapped on the briefcase. "What's inside?"

"The rest of the Millennium Items," Pegasus said as he sat back in his chair. "The ones that are still waiting to be given to their owners."

"So you're trying to give everybody back their Items? What for?"

Pegasus glanced at Yugi and Yugi looked away. He knew what Pegasus was asking him to do, but it was still difficult to talk about. Still this was Joey. If anybody was going to understand what he was going through, he would. "We don't think the Pharoah actually died."

"What? You've got to be messing with me! We saw all the others folks standing on the other side waiting for him. He even gave us a thumbs up to let us know he was okay!"

"I know, but we're not sure if that was real or not."

Pegasus sighed and crossed his arms. "We don't have much time to explain right now, Joey, but we'll need your help to get the other Item holders. Can you assist us?"

Joey grinned, "Absolutely! Though it's going to take me a bit to dig up Ryou's number. I'm pretty sure I wrote it down somewhere." He got up and started to head to the back hallway.

"We've got him covered already," Pegasus said.

"Oh yeah? Who else is there then?" He poked out fingers as he counted each of them out, "You, Yugi, Ryou. I've got no clue where Ishizu and them are."

"Ishizu is also taken care of."

"Well that's it, isn't it?"

"Kaiba," Yugi muttered. "He's the only one that's left."

"No way, Yug! He's not an Item Holder!"

"Sure he is. He never took it up, but he's the rightful owner of the Millennium Rod. That's why it acted up at Battle City." He turned to Pegasus who was smiling at him, "I'm right, aren't I?"

"Oh, you're right. He won't want to take it up, but we'll need his help in this. You two are going to have to help me convince him."

Joey busted out laughing. "There's no way he's going to do it. Not Kaiba!"

Pegasus clasped his hands together and watched Joey's laughter with growing agitation. "Then that's going to be a problem. The two most powerful items that were intended for battle are the Rod and the Puzzle. The Eye and the Ring will be good for defense, and the Necklace will help us stay on guard, but our offense will be near to nothing." He pointed an accusing finger at the Puzzle against Yugi's chest. "When the Pharoah 'passed on', he left that item completely useless. Yugi has access to nothing within it, and more worrisome, it didn't even recognize him when it was returned to him."

Yugi hadn't seen Pegasus so concerned since that urgent video tape before his soul was taken by Doma. He looked stern and collected, but the nervousness in his voice was evident. Pegasus had money, power, and the ability to call in a whole police force if needed. On top of that he was perhaps the most knowledgeable about magic in their group outside of Ishizu. When he said they had no other choice but to recruit Kaiba and give him the Millennium Rod, Yugi had to believe him.

Joey gave a short nod. "Look, if I go with you guys to ask Kaiba to take up the Rod, there's no way he'll do it. Hell, if he saw I was with you, he wouldn't let you past the front desk."

"Yeah, but you know how he is about magic," Yugi added. "He might not like you, but I think he respects your opinion when it comes to this kind of thing. More than he does me."

"Respects my opinion? Really? You're sure we're talking about the same Kaiba here, Yug?"

Yugi nodded, "He knows that you're just as skeptical as he is-"

"Aw, come on! I'm not that bad!"

"- _and_ he'll think that the only reason I'm involved with this is because I miss the Pharoah. He'll see me as just some kid in denial, and he'll think Pegasus talked me into it just so he could get the Eye back. If you're there with us, you'll be a voice of reason. You don't get anything out of this, so he just might listen to what you have to say."

Joey scoffed, "Two years? He's going to think you've been in denial for _two years_?"

"Sometimes I feel like I am."

"Yug…"

Pegasus got to his feet and put a hand on Yugi's shoulder. "That's not true. As a man who was in denial for far too long, I can attest to that, even if Kaiba doesn't agree." He picked up the briefcase, "Besides, Joey. Kaiba has changed a lot since you met him. He's lost some of that animosity he had for you, and I even heard him complement you once not too long ago."

Joey perked up, "Really?"

Pegasus waved a hand, "Something about that recent championship you won in the US a few months back."

"Yeah? What'd he say?"

Pegasus gave a curt smile, "Really it escapes me at the moment, but I'm sure it'll come back to me."

Yugi laughed to himself. If Kaiba had complemented him, it was probably rolled in with an insult in the same breath. Even Kaiba couldn't have changed that much.


	9. Father

It only took two shots to kill the snake, though Ishizu made him shoot a third time just to be sure. The sound of the pistol hurt her ears even with her hands clamped over them. She wasn't sure how Rishid was able to handle it. He walked over to it and moved it about with his boot just to be certain.

He turned to her, his earnest carmel eyes locking onto hers. "What did you see?"

With the Ishtar family, there was never any doubt that something had been seen. When your family's entire purpose in life was to protect magical items, there was never any doubt when magic occurred. In Ishizu's case the tough part was determining what it meant. She was certain the previous bearers of the Millennium Necklace could take a lifetime pondering over what a vision could mean. In ancient Greece, civilizations would rise or fall based on an oracle's premonition. The pressure was always daunting.

"I believe I witnessed the corruption of our family."

He frowned and then turned to fetch the final books and pack up the flood lights in the scripture room. "Why did they do it?"

Ishizu smiled, "You mean you're not surprised that the sacred scripture was corrupted?"

"I have felt the strain of this lifestyle the same as you. I could understand the temptation to destroy it all after a lifetime of dealing with it."

Her smile faded. Rishid spoke as though he had shared similar temptations. Perhaps watching his little brother fall further and further into madness had pushed even him to his limits.

"If I understood it right, it was because he didn't know if the Nameless Pharoah was good or evil. I'm assuming that the tablet was then created to trap him."

Rishid turned out the last flood light and the only light that remained was from their flashlights. He glanced at the two books, "I can pack those in with the lights if you want. That way we can head straight over to see Father."

That worry crept into her again, but she nodded in assent. Rishid was determined to do this, regardless of how painful it was. In many ways he was stronger than she or Marik could ever hope to be. At the same time though it seemed foolish to go unearthing old pain.

They walked together, picking their way along through the darkness and past the stairwell. It could have just been her own bias, but this part of the tunnel seemed darker than the others had been. They slowed their pace here since they weren't sure what kind of damage had taken place on this end of the tunnels. Eventually the path angled downward and deeper into the earth.

"The last time we came here was terrible for me," she whispered as she took Rishid's arm. "I felt that I had not only lost my father but both of my brothers. You barely said a word to me."

"I am sorry," he said. "I knew I was hurting you, but I also knew that Marik needed me at his side more than you did."

_Such a terrible liar_, she thought. He and Marik had always been close, far closer than either of them had been to Ishizu. It wasn't entirely Rishid's fault though; he had been raised to think of himself as a servant to Marik. Ishizu would never be as important as either of them due to her sex. Even today her brothers couldn't escape that mentality, and even warped their actions around so that such notions would never occur to them.

The ground leveled out finally. The air was cooler down here and overall the tunnel had remained intact. They approached a large wooden door, the entrance to the tomb. The hinges had decayed somewhat, but the door itself still stood tall. Rishid reached out with a trembling hand and opened it. At first there was darkness within, and then Ishizu started aiming her flashlight around. The Tomb of the Grave Watchers is what her father called it, and to be buried here was supposedly the highest honor. Ishizu didn't see how being forgotten about underground gave anything close to honor.

The walls were lined with stone shelves, very similar to how the scripture room had been laid out, only with far larger shelves. On them, laying in various states of decay were her ancestors. Most of them were wrapped in cloth, which had also mostly decayed. The fresher ones toward the back still clung to the waif forms within. Father had never said if women were buried here as well, but Ishizu had hoped so when she was a child. Now such idealizations horrified her. The tomb was a honeycomb of passages and rooms, all lined with more bodies. The air here was stagnant and slightly off, not the pungent smell of fresh death, but the withered scent of many long forgotten people.

She and Rishid knew the pathway to their father without once getting confused. When they were children they would be brought through each week as a reminder of where their bodies would sleep for eternity, though probably also as a reminder of where their father was to be rested upon his death. Coming back here now after her many years of studying archeology, she wondered just how far back this time capsule went. Surely not back to the life of the Nameless Pharoah. Still though she knew that if she ever did feel confident in revealing her background and this place to the outside world, it would keep the scientists in her field busy for generations. There were many holes in Egyptian history, many leaps and misunderstandings that come with the passage of time and unreliable records. This would be one of the few places to give them an unbroken, unparalleled snapshot of life from the beginning to the end of the Grave Watchers.

She had already decided that if she were the last keeper of this secret on her death bed, that she would reveal the truth. The academic in her would not permit her to do otherwise.

Father's corpse was at the very back, against a wall that normally would be excavated to continue the tunnels. She and Rishid had abandoned this life though, so the tunnels ended where their father was laid. Rishid put a hand onto the thin area that used to be his calf, and whispered a short prayer. Tears hovered in his eyes and he leaned against the stone shelving for support.

Ishizu felt very little for the corpse before her. She felt that there was very little to thank him for, other than her birth and keeping her alive long enough to escape. He had been a big man in life, but down here with the ravages of time, he was reduced to the same waifed form as the rest of them. He had held his entire family in terror and obedience for so very long, but to look at him now you might think him a kind old man.

"I'm sorry, Father," she whispered. "Sorry that I did not leave your grasp sooner."

"Ishizu!" He sighed, "How can you say that? If you could not respect him while he lived, at least do so in his spirit's house!"

"You might have fond memories of him, but I have very little. His way was one of pain, torment, and rage; that is not a path I enjoyed."

"He is dead. It shames me that you are so resolute. I thought you had a softer heart than this, sister. Can you not forgive him even a little after all this time?"

"I can't, and I'm sure he would be happy to hear that were he still with us. Forgiveness he found to be a sign of cowards, or those who would be betrayed."

Her words pushed Rishid into sobs and he leaned his head against his arms. His cries shook through him and Ishizu watched him with weariness. It wasn't the first time she had made him cry either. Perhaps it was the bane of bearing the Millennium Necklace that made her so resolute, or the fact that as the eldest sibling she was expected to handle the most difficult decisions. Either way, she found only pity for Rishid who bawled against their father's resting place. Not because she had upset him so, but rather because he would never really understand the depths of their father's cruelty. Had the Pharoah chosen to mind crush him, she was certain the darkness in her father's heart would have surpassed any beast that dwelled in the Shadow Realm.

She put her hands on Rishid's shoulders and leaned her head against his back. It took a few minutes for him to calm down. When he turned, his face wet and eyes red, he pulled her into a tight embrace. "I love you, Ishizu," his breath was hot against her ear. "But sometimes I just don't understand how you can be so cold."

She hugged him back and felt tears burn her eyes as she buried her face against his shoulder.


	10. A Darkness Within

Ryou didn't live in a bad part of town, but it was definitely isolated. It was a sign of neighbors who didn't talk much, and tenants who preferred their privacy. Marik had offered to drive, but Ryou insisted they take the bus instead. Not Marik's personal choice, but he wasn't going to argue. Anything to keep Ryou from passing out all over again.

Damn, that was frightening.

He didn't have time to think about it right now though. He didn't want to be like Ishizu and start gushing over him and asking if he was alright. All that did was cause fights. Instead he decided to play it off and pretend it didn't happen for a little while. Getting back into a normal pace was probably best for them both anyway. While Ryou struggled with the lock, Marik couldn't help but check out his ass. Ryou always did have a nice one, and he always wore those tight jeans to show it off, whether he wanted to admit it or not. A smile tugged at his lips. He thought about grabbing him, but then decided against it. He had to keep reminding himself that this wasn't the Thief, this was Ryou: an entirely different breed of Bakura.

An ass grab at his front door would land Marik's ass out on the street in seconds.

Finally the door opened, and Marik followed him inside. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting really: a perfectly clean home, modern deco decor, perhaps a fluffy dog would bound up to greet them. None of these happened though, and as they stepped inside it took a few moments for Marik's eyes to adjust to the darkness. Ryou flicked on a lamp and yellow light filled the room. He had heard of people wanting to keep their homes dark for privacy or even for energy saving purposes, but Ryou had blinds up, with curtains, and blankets as well for each and every window. It was intimidating and Marik felt a tiny ball of terror well up in his stomach at first. It reminded him too much of his home underground and his father's paranoia, how he warded off the sunlight like he chased off strangers. At least Ryou wasn't living underground yet, but given his current living conditions that wouldn't take long.

"Wow, this is different," Marik said as Ryou closed the door behind them. "You bottling drugs in here or something?"

Ryou gave a chortle of laughter as he dropped his keys on a side table. "Honestly. If I remember right, you were the one who always wanted to try out the latest concoctions."

Marik's smile faded. Ryou was obviously still pissed about the whole fainting incident, but he didn't have to take it out on him. "Yeah well, I'm clean now. I have been for a while."

Ryou gave a jerky nod, as though to say, _Whatever makes you feel better._ He'd forgotten how passive-aggressive Ryou could be. He wasn't sure how he was going to convince him to take up the Ring at this rate. He had only just arrived at Ryou's home and already he felt like an intruder. Though he doubted Pegasus was having much better luck. He had to handle Kaiba after all, and compared to that, dealing with Ryou wasn't that bad. At least that's what he kept telling himself.

He followed Ryou into the kitchen, an equally gloomy place. It was very clean, but still looked like there should be piles of cocaine stacked in bags along the wall. "So did someone die recently? Or does your place always look like this?"

Ryou pulled down a pair of mugs, and took a moment to cross his arms and give him a stern look. "Is this how you act as a guest in everyone's home? You ought to know it's damn rude."

Marik dragged a tongue over his lips. He did enjoy it when Ryou got sassy, though he couldn't quite tell if the anger was genuine or not. He might just be trying to give him a hard time. "You never seemed to mind before."

He sighed, "Things have changed since then. I've changed." He turned on the stove and put a kettle on. "People don't stay the same forever, you know."

"Yeah, well, some things don't change." Marik moved a bit closer to him, leaning against the counter and watching Ryou's reaction closely. He wanted to see if Ryou was interested in him still, and the most sensible way to figure that out was to force his attention. He dragged his hands down his sides and slid his thumbs into the pockets of his khakis, making sure that the angle of the counter worked to thrust his hips out. Ryou gave him a confused look, before looking down at Marik's hands. A flush went up his cheeks and he turned away quickly to pull out tea bags from the cupboards.

"I wish you wouldn't do that."

"What?" Marik put a hand out to flick some of Ryou's hair aside. He didn't flinch like he'd expected, and instead just stared at him with that unreadable glare. Despite the other lovers he'd had, and despite his prowess at reading people, Marik could never be sure what either Ryou or the Thief thought. They were both incredibly adept at masking their emotions. It was both impressive, disturbing, and enticing at the same time.

Ryou's gaze never faltered, "I wish you wouldn't act like we're a couple." He started dropping tea bags into the mugs, "You and I never were really together."

How was he supposed to respond to that? Ryou had a way of ripping your heart out and looking adorable while he did it. "We did have a few good times though, didn't we?"

Ryou crossed his arms. "Weren't you here for a reason other than trying to get in my pants?"

"Look I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable, Ryou."

"Then stop it. All you're doing is making me regret inviting you over, and making yourself look like a fool."

"Fine. Sorry, it's just-"

"I know. Trust me, it's difficult for me too." Ryou sighed and clutched his elbows. "To be honest with you, I haven't felt quite right since I lost him. Everything feels off, like the noise isn't quite right or the colors aren't as vibrant."

"It sounds like you're depressed."

Ryou shook his head, "No, I don't think so. It's not quite that. I - Oh, I don't know how to describe it! Every time I try it just sounds stupid."

Marik put a hand on his arm, just his forearm so he wouldn't look like he was trying to feel him up. "Just say it! We're dealing with magic here. Hell, nobody knows really how it works. All we know is what we're handed down. There isn't exactly a guide for dealing with departed spirits."

He smiled, and leaned into Marik's touch. "My mother would have said he was a demon actually. Only demons possessed people. Though she was very religious." Now that he was closer, Marik could feel him trembling. _Jesus, it__'__s no wonder he had a panic attack_, he thought. _He__'__s been thinking himself into circles, probably stressing out way too much._

The teapot whistled and Ryou patted his hand, then went over to pour their mugs. It was odd that Ryou referred to it as _losing_ the Thief. After all, he was possessed most of the time when the Thief was around and completely without control of his actions. Marik wasn't sure how in the world that would be a loss, or entirely why Ryou was so upset over it. He had assumed that Ryou and the Thief had been lovers of some sort. He didn't have the slightest clue how that would work, but seeing how close they were, what else could he assume? All that time he had assumed that Ryou was the victim in the relationship, but now he was starting to see it differently. Perhaps he willingly wanted the Thief to take control. If Marik's nerves were as frazzled as Ryou's were, he probably wouldn't want to come out much either. Ryou passed him a mug, and the steam felt good on his face.

"Come on, Ryou. Tell me what's bothering you."

Ryou paused, "Ever since he left, I feel like something's off."

"Like an evil presence?"

"No, nothing like that. I mean up here," he tapped two fingers on his temple. "I feel like I've lost something and regardless of what I do or who I'm with, it's gone and there's no getting it back."

"I think you just miss him is all."

He slammed the mug down so hard that hot tea splashed out onto the pristine counter. "No, that's not it! It isn't that simple. It's more than just grief, I feel broken! I feel like I don't have all the pieces anymore, like I'm trying to bike down the road on one wheel. Does that make any sense?"

Marik stepped forward and rubbed his back. He could feel Ryou trembling still beneath his touch. His shirt was damp with sweat, and he couldn't tell if he had just started freaking out, or if the sweat was from passing out at the diner earlier. He was terrified Ryou would black out again. "Is there some place we could sit down? Someplace… safe?"

He wasn't even sure what he meant by a _safe_ place, but it was the first word that came to mind. The draped windows, the panic attack, the change of last name: it all pointed to paranoia. Whatever was wrong with him, it was rooted in the fact that he felt threatened somehow. Marik just hoped that his very presence wasn't the cause.

"I'm alright," Ryou whispered, stepping away from Marik's touch. "I want to show you something, or rather tell you something, but I don't think you'll like it."

"We're friends, aren't we?"

Ryou nodded, took his mug, and headed back out of the kitchen. Marik followed, giving Ryou a bit of extra space. He also left his mug behind just in case his friend passed out again. They walked through the entryway hall, with the covered windows, and past a few minimal pieces of furniture, but Ryou didn't stop there. They walked down a dark hallway, and Marik felt his heart skip a beat. He wasn't afraid of Ryou, rather the darkness he seemed content to dwell in. Ryou was a silvery shadow at the end of the hall as he opened a doorway that Marik could just barely make out.

"This is my office," Ryou said and held the door open for him. This was probably the only room that had the windows open and was letting sunlight in, and Marik found himself a bit blinded as he stepped inside. Bookshelves surrounded him. There must have been about ten to twelve bookshelves in all, and on each of them were shelves and shelves of carved wooden figures. In the corner was Ryou's desk for work, the top of it was immaculate except for his computer and a scrap piece of wood with a knife sunk deep into it.

"Wow, I didn't realize you liked to carve so much."

Ryou closed the door behind them, and then collapsed into his desk chair. "I didn't realize either until I lost the Thief."

Marik sat down in a loveseat that had to be pulled away from the wall for all the bookshelves. "Losing him was really tough, wasn't it?"

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back onto the rim of his seat. "Yes. I didn't realize at first that carving was what I needed. I thought there was something wrong with me." He chuckled, "To be honest, I think there still is."

Marik sat up a bit straighter.

He stared up at the ceiling even while he gripped the arms of his chair. His fingers were nearly white. "I would be on the bus or biking around town, and I would see some roadkill on the side of the road. Normally it was pretty fresh, like it had just been killed a day or two before. For some reason I was just fascinated by it. One day while I was biking in, I stopped and just had to stare at it for a few minutes. I picked up a stick and started poking at it. That wasn't enough though. I wanted to cut it."

This had definitely not been what Marik had expected. He didn't know what to say, or if there was anything he could say. He almost wanted to tell Ryou to stop here. He didn't really want him to continue.

"So I went home, grabbed a trash bag and a shovel, and scooped it up. There was an older lady who came up to me as I was tying the bag shut. She told me I was a dear for taking care of it, and that she appreciated that there were some nice kids around willing to clean it up. I wasn't sure what to say, so I just thanked her. What would she have done if she knew I wanted to take it home and carve it up?"

Marik gulped. "Is that what you did?"

"Pretty much. I just wanted to cut on something. I can't explain why. It was just so messy though, and the smell was atrocious. I had tried to do the first one in the bathtub, but even that didn't seem sanitary enough. The second one I had to do in the woods behind the apartments."

All Marik could think of was why the hell he hadn't realized that Ryou was crazy earlier. He looked toward the door, fishing for an excuse he could use to get out of here as fast as he could. All he could think of was Ryou cutting away in his bathroom on some poor rotted bird or something. It wasn't that Marik had never worked with unusual people before. Hell, the Rare Hunters were full of weirdos. He just had never realized that Ryou was one of them. He had to admit, if he had known Ryou had fallen this far off the crazy wagon, he would have probably not have offered to come see him.

When he look back, Ryou was watching him. "This isn't creeping you out too much, is it?"

"No, no. I'm sure plenty of people get the urge to cut up dead things."

Ryou sighed, "Now you're just mocking me."

"How many times have you done it? Cut up some dead animal like that?"

"Only twice. Then I looked into wood carving instead, and well," he gestured around the room. "You see where that has gotten me."

"And does it help?"

"Yes, though I'm still terrified. I mean, I can see this disgusts you. You can imagine how it is for me, slinking around with some dead animal in a sack."

Marik took a deep breath. There was a difference between just being eccentric to being crazy, and between being crazy and being dangerous. There was a crucial piece that Marik needed to know. If the wood carving was enough to satisfy him, then Ryou was just eccentric. If he wanted something more, even if it was just dead bodies, then he was a complete crazy. That was fine, Marik could deal with either circumstance. Crazy creeped him out, but he would still deal with it. But if Ryou wanted to start cutting up living people, that was where he would have to draw the line. He didn't want to work with a man who might potentially stab him in the back at some point. Or someone who was a serial killer in the making. He'd lived with a serial killer in his head before, and had no intention of dealing with another.

He clasped his knees and locked eyes with Ryou. "Alright, this is an important question now. You don't have to answer right away, so think carefully on it. Have you ever cut a person before?"

Ryou licked his lips. "Like intentionally?"

"Yes."

"Well never. I mean, I've thought about it of course. Especially when I get angry. If I get too angry, I end up carving at a piece of wood or something, but sometimes I am tempted to pull a knife out on someone. But I've never…" His eyes got big for a moment, "Oh well, there was one time…"

Marik shifted. _One time_ was all it took. If Ryou had already started killing people, there would be no helping him. He would have to go back to Egypt and tell Pegasus, Yugi, and the others that Ryou was a lost cause. "Tell me."

A blush came up Ryou's cheeks and he sat forward in the roll-around chair, not meeting Marik's gaze. "At Duelist Kingdom, the Thief said we needed Pegasus' Millennium Eye, but then hesitated. He - fancied him, I think, or at least admired his magical ability. So I did it instead."

Marik couldn't believe what he was hearing. "So you're the one that cut his eye out? I thought that was the Thief, not you!"

Ryou gave a slight nod. "I admit, I had more fun with it than I should have. Afterwards I think the Thief was a little wary of me. He asked me lots of questions, like if I had ever cut someone before. He even poked around in my head a bit. I didn't understand his words at the time. He said that I had a darkness in me that could come out if I didn't reign it in. I thought he was referring to my anger issues. That was partly why he was so keen on finding a new body for a while. He thought I was a compromised host. Then we came to terms."

"What kind of terms?"

"Well, um. We grew closer and we realized that we had a lot in common. I enjoy cutting too much, and he enjoyed stealing. If he ever got himself into a bind (which happened quite often), he would let me come out to handle them." Ryou gave the first genuine smile Marik had seen since his arrival. "He said I'm a bit of a natural with a knife. We made a good team."

Already Marik's mind was turning over Ryou's words. He didn't give much information, but already Marik was piecing together important pieces. The Thief had seen the darkness in his host's mind, but decided to stick with him regardless. Once he saw that Ryou would make a useful ally rather than an enemy, he used Ryou's skills to his advantage, while at the same time preventing the madness from overwhelming him. He hadn't realized that the Millennium Ring had the ability to go through someone's mind, but considering that he and Ryou shared one, it made sense that he would be able to travel through and find danger spots. Possibly even help Ryou overcome any deficiencies that would normally have pushed him much farther than simply slicing up bloody roadkill.

With the Thief gone, Ryou progressed down the path he would have normally taken. He no longer had his other half there to help him assuage his desires, or to counter the madness that seemed likely to overwhelm him at this rate. It was as though the Thief's very presence bolstered Ryou's defenses, and without him he was at the mercy of his own mind coming apart at the seams. The spirits of the Millennium Items were supposed to be the other half of their reincarnated alter egos. It made sense that Ryou would struggle to live a normal life after the Thief moved on. It was like losing half of yourself. He wondered if Yugi had the same problem once the Pharoah had moved on, or if he had taken the loss better than Ryou had. Maybe Ryou was just more damaged than Yugi had been.

Marik got to his feet, "I'm sorry, Ryou. I wish you had contacted me, I wish you had let me know that you were struggling like this. I would have come sooner."

Ryou wiped at his eyes. "You seemed so happy though. Why would I want to ruin all that with my troubles? I'm the one who's screwed up, not you."

"Then why not Yugi? You and he are still good friends aren't you?"

"I was afraid of what I would do if I saw Yugi every day. Some nights I was just so damned angry with him for taking the spirit away from me! And you know Yugi, he's such a nice guy. I didn't want to hurt him or anyone else." Tears slid down Ryou's cheeks as he clutched his elbows tight. "I don't trust myself to be close to anyone anymore."

Marik crouched down in front of him and put his hands on Ryou's knees. Ryou stiffened but didn't pull away. "Come with me back to Egypt. I'll give you back your Ring and maybe with the Thief's help we can help clear out all this darkness."

Ryou shook his head, "I don't know. What if it doesn't work? He couldn't stop it before, what makes you think he'll have any luck this time? I mean, that is if he's even really alive. We don't know if that's true or not."

"Yes, but Pegasus will be there too, and he has the Millennium Eye. It's his job was to read people's thoughts. Maybe he could help you. And Kaiba is supposed to be taking up the Millennium Rod. He can use that to extract all the darkness out of you and fling it into the Shadow Realm."

"Ha! Kaiba take up the Rod? Unless you're drugging him, I don't see that ever happening."

Perhaps he had been a bit too optimistic telling Ryou all that, but at this point Marik figured his friend could use all the encouragement he could get. He was angry with himself for even entertaining the idea that Ryou was a lost cause. They were dealing with magic after all, and where the mind came in, the Millennium Items were nearly all powerful. They could strip darkness from minds, clean corruption from the heart, and allow focus and understanding to return. Without them, Ryou might have been on an unending spiral into darkness and madness, but with them, he might still have some chance. Marik had to cling to that chance. If Ryou lost his mind or lost all hope, then the Thief would have to wait until his next incarnation was born. That meant Marik would likely never see him again. His heart skipped a beat, but Marik pushed his fear aside. He would help save the Thief, and Ryou, and the three of them would get back together again as though their separation had never happened. Maybe Ryou and the Thief would even move in with him.

He clasped Ryou's hands in his and pulled him to his feet. "Let's get you packed. I guarantee you won't miss anything here."

Ryou sniffled and gave him another small smile, then wrapped his arms around Marik's waist in a tight hug. "Thank you for not giving up on me like I did years ago."

Marik stroked his friend's messy hair and dragged his hands down his back. He didn't let his fingers trail down his shoulders to the small of Ryou's back because this wasn't the Thief at all, just Ryou, and right now Ryou needed his support, not to be hit on every five minutes. That didn't entirely rule out getting laid, but Marik could be patient. If he wanted a relationship with Ryou, he would have to first be his friend, and Marik was slowly realizing just how little he knew Ryou at all. For the first time he realized just how much he had taken Ryou for granted in the past, something that he intended not to do this time around. If they did ever get the Thief back, he wouldn't be pleased, but he would have to deal with it. Just because he lived inside Ryou's body didn't mean that the boy never should get the chance to come out. Having a relationship with either one of them required a polygamous relationship, which was difficult but not impossible. Marik was pretty sure he could satisfy the two men equally if given the chance.


	11. KC Headquarters

For some reason, Joey wasn't nearly as freaked out by Pegasus' driving as Yugi was. The only reason for that must have been that he lived with Mai now, and had probably grown accustomed to crazy American drivers. Every time Yugi took a glance into the back seat, Joey was grinning at him, and even poked fun at him a few times. The poking fun didn't bother him much, but it was a little unsettling that Joey was now barking at other cars on the road and at every trafflic light just like Pegasus did. Yugi was beginning to think he was just a pushover by comparison.

After crawling through rush hour traffic for an hour, they finally reached Kaiba Corp. It was a little after five, and Yugi was worried that Seto and Mokuba might have already gone home for the day, but Pegasus shook his head.

"Kaiba go home on time? On a _Friday_? Yugi-boy, that simply isn't possible. Especially not lately. That man's been obsessed with his work. In fact about a month back he called me on a Saturday wanting me to look over some hologram designs. The silly part was he hadn't even realized it was weekend!"

Yugi shook his head. In all honesty, Kaiba's reaction made total sense to him. Most businesses in Japan were open on Saturday, though he supposed that wasn't really the case in the U.S.

The Kaiba Corp parking lot was still practically full, and although he had to make a few passes, Pegasus was finally able to find a spot several rows back from the entrance. It was amusing to see the reactions of the people they passed. Not a single one of them was fooled by Pegasus' disguise, and the security guard actually got up to get the door for them.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Crawford."

"Hello! I don't need to sign the guest book today, do I? This time I even have an appointment."

"No sir, Mr. Crawford. You're fine to head on up." He passed out badges for each of them which were large blue plastic cards with the white silhouette of the Blue Eyes White Dragon in the background. In large bulky text they read: KC Visitors Pass, and beneath that in tiny text: _We bring monsters to life._ Yugi hadn't heard that Kaiba Corp had a new slogan, but he liked it. He wondered if the success of the Grand Prix had in any way contributed to the phrase, and then realized that he hadn't seen Kaiba since everything in Egypt. Pegasus he'd seen at tournaments, and of course he saw Joey all the time. Even Mokuba came by the comic shop occasionally, but Kaiba was always anti-social, and more of a recluse than Yugi. Mokuba would give a few tidbits about what his big brother was up to, but mostly he was interested in talking about the latest tournaments and duels when he came by. For all of Yugi's talk that Kaiba was one of his friends, it dawned on him that he hadn't done much to prove it.

If the Pharoah were around, they probably would have, but Yugi had always been intimidated by Kaiba. The very idea of coming to Kaiba Corp on his own, or even with Joey, made him freak out a little. Mokuba would have probably been thrilled to show him around, but Yugi never really wanted to ask. Kaiba of course hadn't been by the Kami Game Shop since he asked Grandpa for the Blue Eyes card, and that was ages ago. Yugi suspected he never would show his face there again, simply out of pride. Pegasus led them toward a set of elevators, all bearing the silhouetted Blue Eyes with the KC brand on the doors.

"This place sure looks swanky." Joey muttered with his hands tucked into his jean pockets. "I almost feel like I should have taken my shoes off at the door."

"Yeah, I don't think I've ever been inside before," Yugi said. "It's a lot bigger on the inside than I thought it would be."

Pegasus smiled at him, "It's big, that's for sure, but I'm not a fan of the streamlined design." He flicked a finger at the elevator doors even as they opened. "I find it terribly boring, but it is what's popular these days. And well, you know how Kaiba is."

He rolled his eye as they boarded the elevator. These moved way faster than the ones at Joey's place, and within a few seconds they had gone up ten floors. The walls fell away to glass, and soon they were looking out over the expanse of Domino City as they shot still higher into the air. Joey leaned two hands against the glass, "Dang, you can see almost all of Domino. Look, Yug, we can even see the Game Shop from here."

Sure enough the turtle shell back on the Kame Game Shop looked like a speck as they went even higher. Yugi felt his ears pop and Joey let out a yawn. Pegasus didn't seem at all affected and leaned against the wall as though getting a bird's eye view of Domino was a daily thing for him. Yugi turned to him, "I guess you're used to seeing stuff like this, especially with how much you travel back and forth to the U.S."

Pegasus shrugged, "I don't make that trip as much as I used to. The flight is so very long! I've gotten it down to once or twice a year at the most, and had to learn to say 'No' when people told me it was urgent to be there. Kaiba and I talk so much on Skype these days that there's hardly ever a reason to meet in person."

The way Pegasus looked away when he mentioned Kaiba made Yugi a little uncomfortable. He really hoped that they hadn't been arguing again, and more importantly, that he and Joey wouldn't be dragged into the middle of it. He wanted to ask more, but the elevator dinged at the top floor, the 80th floor to be precise. The elevators opened up to a large room with several chairs lining the walls and a big black desk in front of them. Emblazoned in large white letters on the front was the KC he was growing accustomed to seeing. Behind the desk sat an athletic woman who got to her feet as they stepped off the elevator.

"So glad you were able to make it, Pegasus!" She took Pegasus' hand in both of hers and gave it a shake, then looked to Yugi and Joey.

"This is Yugi Motoh and Jonouchi Katzuya." Pegasus said, "I'm sure you've heard of them."

She laughed, "I don't think I could have worked in this place a day without knowing you two." She gave a slight bow then said, "I'm Kimi Yajima, and if you run into any problems, just let me know."

Joey was eying Kimi's arms which were exposed by her sleeveless dress. "So, uh, are you the security chief or something?"

She shook her head but smiled, "No, I'm his assistant. We had penned Mr. Crawford to be by two hours ago, but when they told me you arrived downstairs, I went ahead and let Mr. Kaiba know. He's meeting with some affiliates in France right now, but he should be closing that up shortly."

Pegasus motioned Kimi aside, "If you two will excuse us for a few minutes, we have some business to discuss." Kimi had a raised eyebrow but she didn't look terribly alarmed at the request. Yugi and Joey allowed the two to step aside to the desk while they looked around the rest of the waiting room.

There were about ten tiny glass display domes on pedestals around the perimeter of the room. At first Yugi thought they were just decoration, but Joey's exclamation pulled his attention over.

"Hey Yug, look at this!"

Joey was at the first pedestal to the right of Kimi's desk, and as Yugi approached he saw that the light show within the globe was actually a fully rendered 3D model of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Except it didn't look like a regular Blue Eyes. The face was a blue haze and the wings looked like they were made of rubber. On a closer look it didn't look much like Kaiba's prized dragon at all, and in fact reminded him more of a chewy blue and white candy than a true hologram. He read the label: 1st Prototype of BEWD. The date was ten years ago.

Joey had already wandered over to another dome, three ahead of this one. "Man, this is really cool!"

The domes, Yugi realized, showed the progression of the Blue Eyes design from first conception all the way up to the modern technology. Joey had found the first successful White Lightening Attack: a Blue Eyes poised with her neck downward and a brilliant blue flame shooting out of her mouth. It was labeled: BEWD v.1.5. Yugi hadn't even realized there had been different versions, though now that he saw them all laid out, it made perfect sense. Kaiba had been perfecting his holographic technology for years now, and of course he would want to put it on display in his office where he would want the most important visitors to see. Seeing all the holograms spread out around the room made Yugi realize just how much time had passed since Duelist Kingdom, his very first tournament. It felt like lifetimes ago. As Joey crossed the room to look at the holograms on the other side, Yugi heard snippets of the conversation between Pegasus and Kimi.

"Surely he calls occasionally," Pegasus looked concerned as he had taken a side seat on Kimi's desk. "I can't imagine that kid just taking off."

"He does, but not as often as I think Kaiba would like. I've never seen those two fight like they did."

Pegasus shook his head and Yugi stopped at the holographic dome closest to Kimi's desk that showed the final Blue Eyes product repeatedly blasting a tiny Celtic Guardian over and over again. He pretended to be watching it while he listened in.

"They're close though. I can't imagine even a fight like that would tear them apart for too long."

"It's already been over a week though," Kimi crossed her arms. "I would have let you know, but he was pretty resolute this time that he wanted privacy about it. I think he's afraid it'll get into the papers."

Pegasus sighed, "Yes, and that wouldn't be good. Not with the next park about to open. I tell you what, next time he gives you orders not to call me, I want you to do it anyway. Even if you have to use your own phone to do it."

Pegasus pulled out his own cell phone and started flipping through it. Kimi's eyes went wide, "No, no, Pegasus, I couldn't do that. Not your private number!"

He shrugged, "Really Kimi, I've given this number out to far seedier people than you in the past."

That really made her eyes go wide, but Pegasus laughed.

"My goodness, not like that! Who do you take me for? Now here, take this number down."

Mokuba and Kaiba had fought? Why in the world hadn't Mokuba ever said anything? Yugi started wracking his brain for any indication that Mokuba was upset with his big brother the last couple of times he had dropped by the Kami Game Shop, but came up empty. He had seemed pretty happy every time he'd seen him, but he had been rather determined to avoid any conversation about Kaiba Corp or about his big brother. In retrospect it was a strange attitude for Kaiba's biggest fan to have. Mokuba had always been so dedicated to his brother though, Yugi hadn't a clue what kind of problem would have caused a rift between them. Yugi felt guilty too. Two of his friends had been arguing for over a week, and Yugi hadn't even heard a whisper about it. Mokuba certainly hadn't come to him, though Kaiba might suspect he had. If Yugi hadn't decided to accompany Pegasus to Kaiba Corp today, he might still not have known.

For the first time since he arrived, Yugi felt very out of place and uncomfortable standing here waiting to see Kaiba. Not that he feared Kaiba's wrath, but rather he feared Kaiba's disappointment. He felt like he had abandoned the Kaiba brothers, and he couldn't help but wonder if the Pharoah had been with him, would he have made such a lapse?

Down the short hall behind Kimi's desk, a large pair of wooden double doors opened up, and Kaiba strolled out. He had dressed all in purple, complete with trench coat and golden accents, as though ready for a duel. Of course it could be the hottest day all year and Kaiba would probably still wear a trench coat. Yugi wondered if he did that when he was expecting to meet with Pegasus, because it was clear he hadn't expected Yugi and Joey to be there.

He paused in mid-stride, still riffling through a stack of paperwork. His gaze darted around the room, until finally landing on Joey. He snorted in disdain and put the stack of papers down on Kimi's desk. She had taken a few steps back as though expecting some kind of explosion, but Kaiba simply sighed.

"You do realize that Ms. Yajima works here, right?" His question was addressed to Pegasus, who was still partially sitting on the corner of Kimi's desk. He seemed very amused by Kaiba's annoyance.

"Of course I do! Why do you think I was giving her a bit of conversation? I'm sure you would prefer everyone to work in silence like you do, Kaiba, but that simply doesn't work for everyone. Most people need more social interaction than that." He aimed a grin at Kimi, who was standing aside. She had looked a bit uncertain at first, but was now smiling.

Kaiba gave another sigh, but didn't take Pegasus' bait, and instead glanced to Kimi. "I've marked up what needs to be changed before the opening day in Aquitaine next week. Update the original and double check the grammar as well. That speech is going to be done internationally, and I don't want any gaffs showing up on the news the next day. Run it by our PR folks as well before looking it over a last time yourself."

She bowed, "Yes, sir."

He took a step back and then glanced at the three of them again. "I hadn't realized you were bringing company with you."

"Come on, Kaiba," Pegasus teased. "When was the last time you had so many friends over?"

Kaiba turned back toward his office and Pegasus followed. Yugi could only guess that he and Joey could tag along too. He had expected Kaiba to be gruff with them, but he had also expected him to be a tad bit more polite. The pang of frustration left almost as quickly as it appeared.


	12. Sorting the Past

Ishizu pulled the blanket off the back of her chair and wrapped it around her shoulders. Night had fallen over Cairo outside, and she could hear the traffic pass in front of their home. The lanterns in the garden poured yellow light over the foot stones and flowers she had planted. It looked so very peaceful, but her mind was swirling with dark thoughts.

She and Rishid had spent much of the evening pouring over the old tomes they had retrieved from their underground home earlier. Well, Rishid had started to help, but he had done most of the heavy lifting that afternoon, and the toll finally caught up with him. He was sitting in a large armchair in the corner of the room, his head bowed against his chest and one of the larger books open in his lap. He was probably still upset over visiting Father's tomb as well. Ishizu hadn't been very sympathetic towards him, and a twang of guilt pulled at her.

She got to her feet and retrieved the book from Rishid's lap, laid it aside, and covered Rishid with a blanket. She wouldn't let him sleep here all night, but she wouldn't wake him quite yet. Not when he was so sound asleep. She smiled, thinking over some of the regulations she had read in the book covering Outsiders. None of them were to be allowed into the home of the Grave Watchers, but Father had blatantly ignored that rule when he had allowed Rishid to be taken in. Normally children and even infants would have been killed rather than reveal the secret of the Grave Watchers to them.

Rishid had sobbed down in Father's tomb. Had he known that Father had disobeyed the rules of their people to allow Rishid to join them? Ishizu imagined Father would have gloated that knowledge over him regularly. However Ishizu, as a woman, wasn't allowed such knowledge. He wouldn't have allowed either of her brothers to tell her the truth. Women weren't supposed to have _too_ much power after all, but more importantly, she thought, Father wouldn't want to be seen as being weak. That was the real truth of it.

It disturbed her that even to this day, Rishid and Marik had failed to tell her this. She liked to think that they had just not remembered it. That the thought of telling Ishizu this vital point about their father never occurred to them, but deep down she knew better. Even though they were no longer living underground, even though they lived in daylight and were now part of the "surface dwellers", they kept secrets from her as though nothing had changed. It hurt her in ways she couldn't describe, but it wasn't their fault. At this point, it was no one's fault except their ancestors, who were beyond blame now.

She sighed and stretched, feeling a few pops go up her spine. It was only 11:12, but it felt so much later. Perhaps she ought to go to bed. She looked over at her desk in the corner, at the pile of four books she had gone through and the large pile of additional books in another corner of the room: at least 20-30 still waiting to be reviewed. She was faster at going through them than most in her field for she had the benefit of being raised to read the ancient language, one of the few boons she could thank her father for granting. Still the language was complex, the sentence structure was archaic, and there would still be the occasional symbol she couldn't translate. She had one book remaining on her desk, waiting for her to crack open. Just one more, she thought to herself. Then she would rouse Rishid and they would head to bed.

She fetched another bottle of water from the fridge and took a long drink, then settled down at her desk again. The cover was a dusty brown leather, which meant it was newer than the scrolls which marked the far distant past. That of course meant it probably wasn't what she was looking for, but a scientist rarely knew precisely what that was anyway. She cracked it open, and flipped past the pages marking the name, the dedications to the Gods, the humbleness of the writers, the typical writing she was accustomed to. Then she reached the first page, and a crease formed along her eyebrows.

The introduction was discussing how distraught and upset the writer was that he would have to rewrite so much of this valued and uncontested history. (It didn't of course say that a man was writing it, but that was given knowledge. Women were never allowed to enter the scripture room, let alone write in one of the sacred books.) He spoke of how a brethren of the Grave Watchers had failed to take his duty seriously, and how he had failed his family, his name, the Gods, and his faith. His honor so stripped and his sadness so great, he committed - what could only be translated as "compulsory suicide" - last night before his many children and grandchildren.

Ishizu reached into the desk drawer and pulled out a notepad and a pen, and scribbled "compulsory suicide" over the top. In all her years of hearing this language and in studying her family's history, she had never heard of the term before. It would surely be a punishment for the very worst of treasons. Perhaps modifying the sacred Pharoah's Memory scripture that was passed from eldest son to eldest son?

The writer then went into a long description of how the suicide took place, going into far more detail on the time of day, the words that were spoken in the hopes that the usurper's soul would be released to the Gods despite the atrocious lack of respect he showed them, and the supposed glee and cheer from his children. It was all highly skeptical, simply from the flowery way that it was written. The writer made it sound as though the man had awoken from whatever terrible act he had done and was overwhelmed with guilt and remorse, then decided to willingly kill himself in front of his family. It reeked of a public execution and Ishizu's frown deepened.

What had he done though? She flipped a few pages ahead. She wasn't in the mood to read through how the man suffered or the means of his death. This book was old enough that she could imagine how gruesome the given torture was made to be. It wouldn't be a clean death, there would likely be lots of blood, and she didn't even want to imagine how the children present would have reacted. Just thinking on that made her pulse race. The next section of the book talked about what the writer was going to do to make up for the man's betrayal. One sentence caught her attention:

_Since the original document has been burned and destroyed and is now beyond our ability to mend, I have given the responsibility of recreating the artwork to my younger brother, a man of great constitution and strong reverence for the values and beliefs and wishes of the Gods._

So the original document of the Pharoah's memory, the scripture that had by this point survived for over a millennium, had been destroyed. Not just damaged, not just marked or altered, it was burned to ash. That was more than a betrayal, it was a message. Someone didn't want the original to exist anymore, and had paid dearly for his actions.

On the following pages was the full recreation of the Pharoah's memory, the ink a bit shinier than what was used earlier, either to signify the importance of the writing, or that there was another writer brought in. This looked like the same scripture that Marik wore on his back, but this time Ishizu was studying it more closely. She was never allowed to view Marik's tattoo in much detail, and she was never sure if it was due to her brother's shame of it, or if it was him adhering to the old traditions of keeping Ishizu in the dark. She read the hieroglyphics, examined each of the pictures, and finally took a closer look at the wording. Examining verbiage in ancient scripture was not an easy task. Hieroglyphics were created with small pictures, and the quirkiness of different word choices that was taken for granted these days was more difficult to spot in older picture-based languages.

But Ishizu could see areas of the drawing that didn't match up.

The wording at the top was very flowery and traditional. It showed how the Pharoah would revisit his old life and visit old friends. He was supposed to learn a lesson through this. It was a complicated wording, and most of it was emphasizing that the Pharoah would leave this process a changed soul. At the bottom though, the language changed. The wording was slightly less regal but much more direct. It stated that the Pharoah would have to be defeated by a true friend in order to move on. That was the word choice that puzzled her: move on.

The ancient Egyptians didn't believe in moving on. If your soul was judged to be pure and your life one of good, then you would be allowed to travel to the Elyssian Fields, where you would exist in a sort of paradise amid fields of grains and a beautiful sky. When you wanted to return to the land of the living, you were allowed to be recycled into the world again, but you would have to pass judgment on your death. Ishizu had studied ancient texts and Egyptian lore for years, and she had never seen anything about spirits moving on to another plane of existence. It was simply against their religious views.

It wasn't complete proof of course that Pegasus was right, but it was out of place enough that Ishizu thought she should bring it to his attention. She thought of the vision she had seen in the cave: a version of the Thief speaking with a very old Grave Watcher. Was the old man the one the brother allowed to recreate the tattoo from memory? He hadn't been pleased with how the Grave Watchers did things, and hadn't given any disagreements with the Thief's callous assessment of their people. Ishizu sighed and glanced at the book bag sitting in one of the side chairs in the kitchen. The Necklace had shown her that vision, without her request, she was sure of it. Could it show her exactly what happened with the Pharoah's memory and where the spirits were now trapped? Of course it could.

She closed her eyes and sighed. Somehow she knew it would be fruitless to fight against taking up the Necklace again. It was her duty and her burden to see into the past and future. While her friends certainly valued the insight, she found it clouded her own direction. She would lose confidence in her own abilities to do anything with the Necklace, and she would fear that her knowledge of the future was giving her an unfair advantage in the world. It was different when she had a goal. She felt that such an advantage was imperative when she had been hunting Marik all over the world. Now though, it was almost too powerful.

Pegasus had said that they would need all the Item Holders though, not just a few. That would include Ishizu's Necklace too, despite her grumblings and misgivings. She stood and left the book open to the page detailing the Pharoah's Memory and his passage into the afterlife, which she was certain was not supposed to exist. She tapped Rishid on the shoulder, smiling when his snoring ceased and he opened his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I hadn't meant to fall asleep."

"Don't worry about it. I think I've found something, but I'll need your help for what's next."

He looked up at her, his eyes clearing more. "What do you mean?"

"I'm going to take up the Necklace." She said, shaking her head when Rishid gaped at her. "No, it's necessary. Without it we will be fumbling through the past in uncertainty and doubt. It's necessary."

He sighed but nodded in agreement.

"Did you know I would change my mind about it?"

He smirked, "I suspected you would. All of the Item Holders eventually change their minds. They may start out refusing and giving all sorts of excuses," he glanced up at her. "Even when they know very well that all the arguments are in vain. Eventually though their duty and their destiny can't be denied." He reached up and took her hands, his skin felt warm against her cool fingers. "You've been running from yours for a long time. I think it's time you really embraced it."

She nodded. As much as she chided Rishid for being too emotional, he truly did have an uncanny insight into people. She felt lucky then to have him not only as a friend, but as a brother. "Would you help me? I don't want to be alone in case it tests me."

He nodded but his gaze was distant, "It was difficult with Pegasus. He said he had to fight something, and… there was much blood."

She swallowed down a lump in her throat. "Blood? Well the Necklace shouldn't, I mean I don't have to lose anything for it."

"No, but just to be safe," he glanced down at her white robe. "You may want to change."

"Is that why you all did it in the basement?"

Rishid just stared at her.

"Of course it is. Alright. I'll be back in a moment." She squeezed his hand, "Don't go anywhere, please."

His smile was warm, "I won't. Go change. I'll get everything ready downstairs. It might not be difficult for you, but I don't want to take any chances."

Poor Rishid. What could he possibly do to prevent her from being harmed, if that was indeed needed to take up the Necklace again?


	13. To a Noob

Kaiba's office was bigger than Yugi had imagined it to be. His desk was at the far end, but there were couches closer to the door, facing one of the paneled walls. He bet there was a television hidden away there. Kaiba sat down behind his desk, but didn't offer chairs to the three of them. Joey stood with his arms crossed and looking annoyed. Already things looked primed for a disaster. Behind them the double doors were pulled closed.

With steepled hands Kaiba regarded Yugi and Joey with absolute disdain, then looked toward Pegasus. "You mentioned the Millennium Items when you called."

"Yes," Pegasus said. "We've unearthed them."

"Why in the world would you want to do that?"

"For very good reasons, as I'm sure you'll agree." Pegasus leaned over the desk, "You won't like what I have to tell you, but first you have to promise me that you'll take it seriously."

Kaiba sat back in his chair, "It's never good to start out negotiations with promises."

"I am not negotiating with you. You can hear what I have to say or not, it doesn't really matter to me!"

Yugi gaped. That wasn't what Pegasus had told them in Joey's kitchen. He said Kaiba was as important as the rest of them. Was Pegasus changing his tune to get Kaiba to agree, or had he lied to him? He glanced to Joey, the same confusion on his face.

"You don't exactly care much for friends, Kaiba, so honestly I'm not sure that you'll care one way or another what happens to them."

"Go on already," Kaiba said.

Pegasus arched an eyebrow, "And you'll take it seriously?"

Kaiba squirmed, but nodded nonetheless.

"Good. I knew I could count on you."

"Whatever."

Pegasus cleared his throat, then walked back to sit in one of the plush chairs. "The problem began a few weeks ago while we were working on the latest set of Duel Monster cards. Remember the space cadets?"

Yugi's ears perked up. So that was the theme of the next card release! He and Joey exchanged an excited glance, but didn't interrupt.

"Of course I do," Kaiba said. "We were only brainstorming, remember?"

"Oh yes, that's right," Pegasus gave a knowing smile. "I finished up the drawing for the Massive Beast from Another World, when I had the strangest feeling that someone was talking to me."

Kaiba scoffed, "I'm sure that's not unusual."

"Come on, Kaiba, let the man finish!" Joey said as he went over to sit down near Pegasus.

Yugi narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean you felt like someone was talking to you? Didn't you hear it?"

"Well that was the problem," Pegasus said, "Croquet was in the room with me at the time, and he didn't hear a thing. I knew then that it had to be something otherworldly. So I concentrated, I closed my eyes and listened to the words carefully. That's when I made out who it was. The Millennium Eye was calling out to me. It needed me to take it up again. It said we were all in danger."

Kaiba shook his head and got to his feet to pace the room, obviously agitated by Pegasus' story. "So you went and dug them up."

"Yes, but I did more than that."

Kaiba froze and turned to Pegasus with a look of pain on his face, "You didn't…"

Pegasus pulled back the hair of his face to reveal the Eye. Kaiba gasped, "I can't believe you put it in! Just because you heard some voices in your head? Are you sure it wasn't your own madness finally getting the best of you?"

Pegasus shook his head, "Calm down, Kaiba-boy. There's no need to get upset."

Yugi pulled his puzzle out of the bag at his side, "He brought me this too, but it feels empty now. Nobody's inside of it this time." His shoulders slumped. The pyramid felt cold and empty in his hands. As painful as it was to discuss it, Yugi could tell his words had mellowed Kaiba considerably.

"So, he's not-"

"No," Yugi answered. "Pegasus thinks he's hurt somehow, and we have to take up the Items again to free him."

"Hurt? What do you mean?"

"Oh, it's worse than that," Pegasus said with a wide eye fixed on the plush carpet. "He's worse than hurt, he's being used as some sort of power source."

"What?" Yugi gasped. "You didn't mention that before."

"I didn't know about it then," Pegasus whispered. "The Eye has been giving me more information the longer I've had it." There was something in the tone of his voice that implied that Pegasus knew exactly what kind of danger the Pharoah had been in. It wasn't the Eye feeding tiny bits of information, Pegasus was controlling the entire show, as though Yugi wouldn't be able to handle all the truth. As though Yugi was nothing more than a fragile child. A rage boiled up in him, but almost instantly was replaced with placidity. He had wanted to tell Pegasus off, to yell at him for holding back information from him. For treating him like he was still a naive teenager and not an adult. He had even turned around in a rage, but the words wouldn't come. It was like he _couldn__'__t_ get angry, and his placidity turned to discomfort.

Joey must have seen the way Yugi had paused in the middle of the room, so he stepped in to ask,"So some_body_ is behind this?"

"Something with the ability to think and plan at least, I have no idea if it has a body or not. All I know is that somehow it knew that the Pharoah would try to move on centuries ago, and was waiting around until he tried to."

"We can't just sit around here talking about it then, we need to get him free!" Joey said.

Pegasus closed his eyes for a moment and sighed, "Yes, we do. Which is why we're here."

Kaiba went back to his desk, moving with long strides to sit down at his computer again. "How are we supposed to do that?" Yugi was amazed that he had said _we_ instead of _you_. Was he really going to try and help them? Maybe this wouldn't be as difficult as they had feared.

Pegasus looked at him steadily. "Why do you think we came here? To fill you in and then skip town? We need your help."

Kaiba nodded, "Of course you do. Where do we need to go: Cairo? I can get one of my private planes to -"

"No, no, Seto. We need more than that kind of help."

Yugi had never heard anyone other than Mokuba refer to Kaiba by his first name. Yugi braced himself for what he was certain would be a famous Seto Kaiba explosion.

Kaiba's eyes went wide, but it wasn't out of rage, but fear. "No… I won't do it."

"Nobody else can!" Joey cried, "Unless you want to give the Rod to Marik, and I'm sure we're all real thrilled by that idea."

"Stay out of this, Wheeler. This has nothing to do with you," Kaiba spat. He was shaking though, even with his clenched fists Yugi could see it. This was more than just his regular bravado: Kaiba was terrified of taking up the Rod.

"Oh, it has everything to do with me!" Joey carried on, "The Pharoah was my friend too, you know. And sure, you guys might have been rival duelists, but he was my friend."

Pegasus got to his feet and gave a pleading look to Joey. Yugi couldn't tell if Joey got the message or not. Joey was entirely focused on Kaiba, so much so that his face was getting flushed with anger. It really didn't take long to get riled up. Yugi went over, grabbed hold of Joey's sleeve, and dragged him off to the side of the room next to the enormous windows that tilted down to the streets below.

"What are you trying to do, get us kicked out?"

Joey took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders. "I'm sorry, but Kaiba's being a downright ass here. He knows we need his help, why else would we go out of our way to visit his stinking ego palace?"

Yugi looked over his shoulder. Although he and Joey were keeping their voices down, Kaiba was still glaring at the two of them. Pegasus had walked around to put a hand on Kaiba's shoulder, but Kaiba didn't seem to notice. Yugi kind of wished he could hear what Pegasus was telling him. If he'd found some magical phrase to turn Kaiba's anger meter down a thousand degrees, he'd be grateful for it.

"Remember what we came here for. If we don't get Kaiba's help, then the Pharoah might be tortured forever." Yugi couldn't help the crack in his voice, but it did seem to pull Joey out of his blind rage. "Can you even imagine that? If we blow this, there might not be anyone else that can save him." Yugi felt his eyes welling with tears now, but the words were pouring out of him and he couldn't hold them back any longer. "If we blow this, then there might not be any other reincarnations that could help him out. We're lucky to have as many Item Holders as we do. If we screw this up, I don't think- I don't think I can handle him not coming back."

Joey clasped Yugi's shoulders, "Don't think like that. We'll get him back, Yug, we're not gonna leave him there."

Yugi wiped his eyes with his sleeve, but the tears were still coming. "I know the Pharoah made you really angry there a few times, so I wasn't sure if, you know…"

He wrapped his arms around Yugi and hugged him tight, "That was only because he lost you! You're my best pal! I know I'm nothing like the Pharoah is to you, but I really do try to be a good friend and all that."

"Thanks, Joey," Yugi sniffled. Then the two of them turned around to see Pegasus and Kaiba staring at them both. Yugi had expected ridicule, some trifle mock, but Kaiba didn't look in the least bit amused. He stood at his full height and was no longer shaking with fear.

"I'll help," Kaiba said. "Though I wish you had told me extent of it before it this, Yugi. I would have gotten involved sooner."

Yugi smiled. He looked at Pegasus, who looked completely bewildered as to what he had said to make Kaiba do a complete 180, but he was grateful for it. "You mean it? You'll take up the Rod?"

Kaiba nodded. "I'll do it, even though I think it's foolish to rely on some unreliable magical trinket to fight your battles for you." He stalked up to the two of them, and Yugi noticed Joey took a step to the side as though he expected Kaiba to try to attack or something. Kaiba glanced at him, but walked up to Yugi regardless. He pointed a finger into his face and spoke with more venom than Yugi had heard from the man in years.

"Next time some missing spirit causes you to throw a match, you had best inform me right away."

Yugi blinked. What was he talking about? A thrown match?

"What do you mean? Yugi never throws a match!" Joey said.

"Don't give me that," Kaiba growled. "Mokuba told me all about it the other day. You were helping him test out his deck with a practice duel."

"Oh…" Yugi glanced down to the floor. "Oh."

Joey's jaw dropped, "Yug? You lost? To a noob!?"

Yugi shrugged and gave a nervous grin, "It was just for fun, it wasn't an official duel or anything."

"Bullshit," said Kaiba. "I've dueled my brother and tested out his little deck. It sucks, but you don't. You're the best duelist there is, and your string of Championships proves it. The fact that you allow yourself to get so distracted over this mess proves that it could affect you in official tournaments. Your mind should _always_ be on the duel. It doesn't matter if it's for fun or not. I may not be one of your…", he squirmed, "…_friends_, but it's my duty to call you out when your game is slipping. Had I known how bad it had gotten, I would have done something sooner."

"Thanks," Yugi said with a meek smile. "I don't know what you could have done, but thanks."

He waved a hand. "There's a million things that would have gotten you to get your mind off of a dead man," he gave a small smile. "Most of them I'm sure you wouldn't have liked."

Kaiba and Peagsus went back to the computer to make travel arrangements to Cairo. Yugi sighed. He thought about his rage earlier and how quickly it had fallen away. He thought of how much his mind would wander when he was in the middle of a duel, and how difficult it could be sometimes to really care anymore when his monsters got killed in battle. Maybe Kaiba was right, maybe this was affecting him more than he realized.

"I can't believe you lost," Joey was still crestfallen.

"I'm sorry, Joey," Yugi said. "We're still friends, aren't we? You didn't just like me cause I'm good at winning Duel Monsters, did you?"

Joey grinned, "Nah, course we're still friends! I just - shit, this is gonna sound so bad. I wish I had been the one to beat you in a fun duel, not Mokuba."

Yugi laughed. "Really? That's what made you annoyed?"

"I mean Mokuba hasn't dueled you for years, you know? You and I've got history together. I always figured I would know I was a decent duelist if I could beat you just once."

"You know, you might want to reconsider that. I mean, there haven't been many duelists to beat me."

Joey winked at him, "All it takes is one official match."

Yugi smiled as he followed Joey to join the others. He hadn't known that Mokuba was going to make such a big deal about winning against him. He would bet money that was the reason the Kaiba brothers had argued a week back. Yugi didn't even fully remember how the match went, which made him uncomfortable. Remembering his past matches was one of his favorite things to do. It was how he got better at dueling. To not be able to remember a match at all, that was just last weekend, that didn't seem like him at all.


	14. The Creature in Shadow

Ishizu changed into jeans and a dark red T-shirt and returned back to the living room. She stopped at the door to the basement which was left open; a light was on over the stairwell that led downward. The book bag which had been in the kitchen was gone, and Ishizu took a deep breath before descending the steps. The air was cooler down here and smelled of earth. Somehow it was still a different scent from the underground cavern they had grown up in though, so it was actually comforting rather than agitating.

"There you are," Rishid whispered as she reached the last step.

She was trembling, though not from the cold. She gave him a small smile and allowed him to lead her deeper into the basement. He had put up candles throughout the rooms, and there was a wooden chair at the far end. She had forgotten they even owned so many candles. She looked for traces of the mess that she was sure had been here when Pegasus replaced his Eye, but all signs of it were gone. Rishid must have been quite thorough with his cleaning. Though come to think of it, he was probably rather good at cleaning up blood. The thought brought a shudder through her and Rishid narrowed his eyes.

"Are you going to be alright doing this?"

It seemed like a silly question to her. Hadn't they both decided that there was no way around it? "I don't think anyone could be, but I'll do my best."

Rishid unzipped the book bag and used a cloth to pull out the Millennium Necklace. The Sennen Eye that hung in the center of the Necklace, as Rishid brought it over, seemed to stare back at her.

"Now remember," he whispered, "I'll be right here. Try not to panic, and know that you are the true bearer of this Item. No one else."

It was an odd thing to say before her fingers wrapped around the cold metal. Her first thought of course was that she was merely a Grave Watcher, and certainly not the intended bearer of such a revered relic. She thought of how Marik and Rishid both kept secrets from her, even now that it no longer mattered; how everything she had worked so hard to prove in her life, all her achievements and accolades, might be mere charades of a foolish girl who lived underground. It was a dark thought that slept deep in her heart, one that Father had planted there years ago, one that she would never have given voice to or even acknowledged, and yet the despair that poured through her made her gasp.

Rishid was standing over her talking, but Ishizu couldn't hear him. All she could hear was her pulse in her ears and the peal of a bell tolling far longer than it ought to. The noise overwhelmed everything. To her horror, the Necklace seemed to amplify the noise and she put her hands over her ears to try to drown it out, jangling the Necklace against her throat, but the sound could not be muffled or muted. She felt the Necklace's warmth then, and she calmed somewhat at its familiarity. She knew this Item. She had depended on it, worked with it, fought with it. It certainly didn't have its own consciousness like some of the Items did, but Ishizu could feel its presence.

Something wasn't right though, and the tolling bell that never wanted to cease should have warned her. A flood of images came to her: the future, the past, the present; people she knew and many she did not; places she could not fathom, worlds she had never seen; it all flashed through her mind uncontrollably in a matter of moments. What she at first thought was the ringing of a bell in the distance slowly split into billions of voices she couldn't understand all talking at once. Ishizu leaned forward and spat blood out onto the floor.

"It's too much," she whispered. "Slow down, I can't take it."

The request only seemed to make the images move faster, the voices all talking at an even higher pitch, and Ishizu was certain she would lose her mind at this rate. Then she remembered Rishid's words: _You are the true bearer of this item._ She repeated the mantra over and over again in her mind, and eventually his low baritone drowned out the other voices and pushed aside the cacophony of visions that assaulted her. A dark veil was pulled away, and on the other side she could see a person's silhouette shrouded in darkness, but somehow she knew there was a perverse grin on its lips.

"Stop it!" She screamed, "I am the bearer of the Millennium Necklace, no one else!"

The creature laughed, and the silhouette shifted to show that it was not in fact a person at all. She saw several shadowy limbs emerge around it and felt a coldness grip her heart. Then it spoke and its voice dripped with malice, "You will always be a bearer and never an owner. Your family knew you were worthless, pathetic, weak, and you have proven they were right."

Ishizu felt her body shaking. Deep down she knew this creature was right. She was no warrior, no magic wielder, no visionary; she was merely a researcher, a woman pushed to take a responsibility she couldn't handle, a person pushed beyond her means. What right did she have to use such magnificent power?

The shadowy figure was laughing now, a hideous noise that made the voices in the distance pulse with amusement. "You would not have even taken up the Necklace again if your brother had not asked you to do it. Weak. Foolish. Pathetic." Each word felt like it wrenched at her heart and Ishizu could smell the dirt beneath her.

"Leave him alone," she whispered. "Marik has nothing to do with this." Her voice was so weak she wasn't sure if the creature had heard her, but his laughter proved he had. The images of all the strange people were suddenly replaced with her brother, Marik, except these were shown slowly and deliberately so she could soak up each sight. The visions displayed one after another in an endless train, and each one depicted a different way that he would be murdered: drowning in an ocean, a shadowy figure sneaking up and slitting his throat, committing suicide by leaping off of a tall cliff. Each one would settle on his mangled corpse lying in a pool of his own blood or ravaged beyond recognition.

"No!" She started screaming, her voice making her throat sore. The shadowy figure simply laughed as Ishizu was forced to watch her beloved brother die again, and again, and again.

Then she felt hands on her shoulders, cold hands that sent a shiver down her spine. "It isn't real," the voice whispered. She didn't recognize it, but it didn't belong to the faceless shadow that tormented her, or to Rishid. "You must fight him or he will destroy you. You cannot allow this fiend to take the Necklace!"

It was a voice she recognized, but she couldn't place it. She got up on her hands and knees and stared at the cruel creature that mocked her suffering. "He is too strong," she whispered. "I can't fight him."

Her invisible friend was crouched down next to her now. He wasn't part of the darkness that surrounded her, but looked very much human. She couldn't make out what he looked like completely; his clothes and face were mere blurs. All that she could see was the human shape of a thick, white mist. "The only power he has over you is what you give him. You showed a lack of confidence, and he exploited it. You showed him that you loved Marik, and he's using it against you. You must fight back!"

"I didn't mean… I didn't know," she moaned. Her mind didn't feel like it was unraveling as quickly now, but her body was weak and shaking. Her mind ached at the weight of it all and she had trouble focusing.

The blurry man's image cleared somewhat and two human eyes stared back at her, attached to a face that looked vaguely familiar. "The only weapon he has is what you give him. This, this is where your power lies," he glanced down to the Necklace still held firm in her grip. "You have to pull yourself together and use it to defend yourself. That is what it's for! Now hurry and put it on before you are lost forever in this void."

"I can't!"

The eyes shrouded in mist locked onto hers. "No one else can do this for you, Ishizu. If you don't put the Necklace on now, you will die, your soul will be devoured, and there will be no others to inherit the powers of the Necklace, do you understand me? You are not just letting down your friends and family, but yourself by placing this weight on your own future incarnations!" The white mist shot out and wrapped around her arm, she could feel the pressure of fingertips as it helped pull her to her feet. "The Pharoah may already be lost to us. Without your aid, he and I will be devoured here! What do you think that thing will do when that happens? Be happy to sit by and allow other souls to pass through without harm?"

Her mind cleared at the mention of the Pharoah. He had helped save Marik when Ishizu thought no one could. He had assisted her when she had no one else to turn to. And now he might die because of her weakness. Of all the Item Bearers, she refused to be the weak link!

Ishizu took the necklace with both hands, and in the distance the shadowy man's smile turned downward. "Enough!" he said, and his voice sounded like a shriek that reverberated in Ishizu's skull and made her nose and mouth leak blood. The man of white mist who had been standing beside her screamed and then faded. She didn't allow herself to be distracted though, and slipped the loop of the Necklace over her head. As soon as the cold metal touched the flesh of her chest, the bell stopped, the voices stopped, the visions stopped. All that she could see was the shadowy man in the distance getting to his feet and screaming. His hatred was so poignant that she winced away from it until he faded from her vision as well.

Soon she realized she was staring at the dirt floor of their basement, staring into a pool of her own blood. Quite a bit of blood, now that she was looking at it. The copper taste of it clung to her throat and nostrils. Finally she managed to utter words, "Rishid?"

"Ishizu!" He cried and Ishizu realized that he had been sitting beside her. He looked terrified and he put his arms out to take hold of her, but held himself back. "Please, tell me it's over! Tell me you passed the test."

She leaned back to sit down with her legs curled beneath her. The chair had been thrown aside at some point or another, and one of the legs had been snapped completely off. As she sat back, she spotted more blood, not only in puddles on the ground, but also on her hands, her legs, even down her arms. "By the gods…"

Rishid hugged her then, so tight that the air was forced from of her lungs. "Oh sister! I'm so glad you're alright! I called Master Marik after half an hour, but he said to give it time! He said there was no telling how long the test would take, and I was afraid that-"

She smiled. It was times like these that he reminded her of when he was a child, small and frightened, running to her when he thought he'd done something terrible and unredeemable. Ishizu hugged him back, but then pushed him away. "I am fine now, but that was no test. That was a battle, and I believe I won."

She put a hand to her throat and clasped the Sennen Necklace. A pulse of energy shot through her body as the Necklace welcomed her home. "It has much to tell me still. There is much I'll need to learn, but not tonight. I am too tired."

Rishid put his hand out and Ishizu took it to stand, but found that she could barely stand up without his assistance. "I am sorry," she whispered. "It wasn't fair of you to have to witness this alone."

Trails of tears had stained Rishid's cheeks, but he smiled back at her. "I would rather be here than you deal with these demons on your own."

She bristled as he helped her up the steps. "They're not demons, Rishid. Such things don't exist where the Items are concerned."

He chuckled, "It was a figure of speech, sister. I'll help you clean up, then put you to bed, and let Marik know you'll alright. I'm sure he'll be anxious to hear about you after I panicked him earlier."

"By the sound of it, you were far more panicked than he was."

Rishid gave no response.


	15. Pride and Prejudice

Marik never could sleep on a plane. He never could get comfortable enough. Most of compartments were dark save for a few restless folks who, like him, were trying to busy themselves since they were plagued with insomnia. He was pretty sure they were over India. If he reached over sleeping Ryou and opened the plastic sliding curtain, he might see the blinking lights of the cities below through the dark gray clouds, perhaps see the brilliant stars in the dark sky around them, but he didn't want to risk it. Ryou looked far too adorable passed out next to him.

Oh, Ryou had complained plenty about not being able to sleep when there were so many people around, but that proved to be more bluster than truth. They each had separate blankets, but Marik had asked for a few more, not because he was cold, but because he wanted to be able to reach over and put his hand on Ryou's thigh while he was asleep without drawing attention to them.

Sure, it was a cheap move, but he didn't care. He hadn't seen the man in two years, he was allowed to be a little crude sometimes. One hand was on Ryou's thigh, rubbing his thumb against the tight-fitting jeans, and wishing he could wander more. He had put on some headphones to watch the movie that was on, but for the life of him he didn't have a clue what it was about. Some romance about a woman wanting to get with some guy named Darcy, and their billions of family issues. Marik had enough family issues, he sure as hell didn't need to hear about more. Nevertheless, it had moments of entertainment, and the girl's mother did remind him of Ishizu at times. Not that he would ever say so aloud.

Then through the headphones he heard an obnoxious ringing sound. His first thought was that some asshole's cell phone was left on.

_Briiiiing_.

His wondered if that was the same ringtone _his_ cell phone had. Could they even get cell phone reception up here?

_Briiiiing_.

His third thought was realizing that that was _his _cell phone ringing.

"Shit," he muttered as he tore off the headphones and started hunting for his phone. Already he could see the eyes of his fellow passengers peeping through the darkness with anger and outrage.

_Briiiiing_.

"Goddamn it!" He hissed. It wasn't in his bookbag at his feet, it wasn't in any of the pockets in his cargo pants, and it hadn't slipped into the cracks of his seat.

_Briiiiing_.

A steward was coming down the aisle, probably to reprimand him for waking everyone up on the freaking flight. Great. Who the hell was calling him and why was it so damned urgent?

"Is this yours?" Ryou drawled with half-lidded eyes and a bemused smile on his lips.

"Thank you." Marik silenced the ringer, then noticed the Caller ID. Why was Rishid calling him? He answered it and cupped a hand over his mouth so that he wouldn't make too much noise.

"Rishid?"

"Master Marik!" Rishid's voice boomed across the receiver and Marik had to turn the volume down quite a bit before he could hear him without being deafened in the process.

"Wait, can you repeat that? What about Ishizu?"

"She's taken up the Necklace, but something is wrong."

Memories of Pegasus in their basement getting assaulted by the Eye flooded back to him. Pegasus had been screaming, nearly incoherent. His mouth went dry as he thought of his sister in a similar state. "What do you mean? What's wrong?"

"She's been like this for a full thirty minutes."

"Okay, calm down. It was painful for Pegasus too, remember?"

"Yes, but there's been far more blood with Ishizu. I didn't think there would be as much since she didn't have to… lose anything." In the background Marik could hear his sister scream and his heart skipped a beat. "I don't know what to do. I can't take the Necklace off of her, but I fear it will kill her if I don't!"

He felt Ryou put a hand on his arm, warm and comforting, as he mouthed to him, "What happened?"

Marik shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment, unconsciously taking Ryou's hand and squeezing it tight. "It's normal for there to be problems. Each Item is different, and no binding is the same, remember?"

"Yes, but Pegasus said he had to fight something. Some other entity that was trying to take control of the Eye away from him. I don't know. I don't think Ishizu is winning that battle."

Marik darted through a list of options in his mind. Rishid couldn't physically touch the Necklace, so it wasn't like he could just take it off of her easily. Yes, he could use some kind of tool to try to remove it, but the Items had a mind of their own when someone was being tested. Even if this 'other entity' had enough pull to try to wrench it away, Ishizu was the rightful owner. Shaadi had told her so years ago, and he had a way with those things. His judgment had to be trusted. She had trusted in it then, and she had to believe in it now.

"Don't interfere," he said with as much resolution as he could muster. It was a necessary step to take with Rishid, one he had learned after asking the man to take dangerous risks in the past. Rishid was absolutely lost when he wasn't given a stern, direct order, especially during times when someone's life was on the line. In a way it was his worst flaw. Indecision could kill someone just as easily as malicious intent. "Don't touch her, don't try to remove the Necklace, just be near her. Talk to her. There's a chance she might hear your voice."

"Yes, alright." Rishid said but Marik could hear the fear and desolation in his voice.

"Remember Rishid, if she doesn't make it…"

"It is the will of the Gods. Yes, I know."

Tears misted Marik's vision and he blinked them away in annoyance. "Be sure you call or text me if she… I mean either way. I don't want you dealing with that on your own."

"Yes," Rishid's voice was firmer this time, as though he was inspired by Marik's show of strength. "I'll let you know."

Marik hung up, then let out a shaky sigh. He had started hunching forward while he was on the phone with Rishid, and he had barely realized it. Mostly he was trying to keep from being overheard, especially with talk of blood and Gods, but also it let him shut off any sight of the other passengers. Seeing them and their curious gazes would have affected him, made him think of how this looked, and a whole slew of 'what ifs' that he really didn't have time to think about. Rishid needed him to be strong, to guide him. If his voice had broken, or if he'd sounded unsure of himself at all, it would have put doubt into Rishid's mind, and doubt was dangerous. If Ishizu did die down there in the basement, he didn't want to lose his sister _and_ Rishid simply because he wasn't able to reel in his emotions. Losing either of them would tear him apart; losing both at once just might destroy him entirely.

Ryou leaned in close and was rubbing his back. Years ago when he had been dating the Thief, there wasn't much in the way of open shows of comfort. They might sit close or have an arm around the other's shoulders, but nothing like a back rub. It was surprisingly soothing. Marik wasn't sure if Ryou had been doing it during the phone call or not. It was like he had tunnel vision and all he could see was Rishid and Ishizu on the other end. Marik smiled at him, "You don't have to do that."

"Sure I do. You need it."

A steward came by and smiled at them both before turning to Marik, "Please make sure your device is turned off or put on airplane mode for the rest of the flight."

"Sure," Mark smiled, not at all intending to turn off his one potential connection to Rishid.

"Is everything alright, sir? Would you like me to get anything?"

Jeez, he must look rattled if the stewards could tell he was upset in this darkness. He thought about getting something alcoholic, just to calm his nerves, but decided against it. "Coffee, please." He needed to think, not wallow in misery.

Ryou gently pulled him back so he wasn't hunched anymore and, much to his surprise, pulled him in close. Ryou put an arm around Marik's shoulders and squeezed tight, "So Ishizu is taking up the Necklace?"

He nodded, "It's not going well either."

"I imagined not. You weren't doing well either."

Marik gave a weak chuckle and unfolded the tray as the steward came back with his coffee, sugar, and creamer. He fixed his coffee up and then took a sip. It was bitter and not a flavor he would have chosen for himself, but he wasn't very picky at the moment. He took a long sip and watched the movie playing in the distance. He didn't have his headphones on, so he couldn't hear what they were saying, but for some reason it was comforting watching this woman walk around flowery gardens in fancy gowns. "Any idea what this is? I think I missed the opening title."

"Pride and Prejudice," Ryou said with zeal. "One of my favorite movies actually."

Marik wanted to make a snide comment about how appropriate it was that Ryou liked watching people sit around, drink tea, and talk to each other all day, but pursed his lips and drank his coffee instead. They watched in silence for a few moments, Ryou resting a hand on Marik's shoulder and Marik enjoying his warmth and closeness in the darkness.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ryou asked.

He sighed, "I'm not sure how much there is to tell. Something on the other side is making it difficult for Item Holders to take back their Items. Sister's fight is taking some time." He took the lid off his cup and breathed in the coffee-scented steam.

Ryou nodded, "The Thief always told me that hers was the weakest Item. I don't know if that included the Scales or the Key, but that's what he told me."

Marik chuckled, "I don't know. Pegasus was the only one who lost his Item."

Ryou shrugged. "He was sloppy. He exerted so much of his strength on defeating Yugi that he made himself an easy target. I don't think Ishizu was as careless. In fact, one time the Thief was hunting her down, but she just vanished without a trace. It was in the Domino Museum actually."

"Figures, she always likes to hang around dusty old places like that." He smiled at the thought of it, but then the realization that his quirky, history-obsessed sister might not be around for much longer hit him square in the chest. It was like the bottom had fallen out on his insides and everything went cold. He clutched his coffee tighter, and resisted the urge to pick up the phone and call Rishid back to get an update. His brother was already freaked out. Him calling every few minutes to get a status update would only make him more upset, and it would imply that Marik doubted his decision, which would in turn make Rishid doubt his actions.

The bitter coffee helped warm his insides somewhat. Marik was pretty certain that a whole tub of sugar wouldn't make it taste any better than it did. Ryou must have sensed him get upset because he squeezed him tighter in an awkward hug. Marik laid his head down against Ryou's chest, and listened to his heartbeat under the thin T-shirt: calm, soothing, consistent. At least if something did happen to Ishizu, he would have Ryou around to help him out. Sure, they might not be officially dating anymore, but that fear of getting physically close was not really an issue. They knew each other's bodies inside and out. The biggest chasm they had to cross at this point was emotional.

"Marik, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"If the Thief came back, and I allowed him to take over my body every so often, would you still like me?"

Marik closed his eyes for a moment. Why did Ryou choose _now _to ask such a difficult question? Surely he understood that this wasn't a good time to discuss their uncertain serious relationship. His first instinct was that Ryou was trying to get a rise out of him, that he was trying to bait him into saying something that he would later regret. Why couldn't they share this quiet, intimate moment in peace without having it lead into some tumultuous fight? He pushed away from Ryou's chest, and looked into his eyes with annoyance. He expected Ryou to be confrontational, eager to find any excuse to get this thing to fail, but Ryou looked earnest, perhaps even desperate. His eyes were wide and from the white flicker of the movie in the distance, he could see tears standing in his eyes.

Any venom that Marik had been about to speak fell away, and instead he simply sighed. "Why do you have to ask things like this when I'm already upset."

"I'm sorry. I know, it probably isn't fair, but I just don't know how to feel about this. I mean, I feel terrible for you. If anything does happen to Ishizu, does that make me a complete prick if I don't agree to a relationship with you? Or if I do, is it just out of pity? I mean it automatically makes everything so much more complicated."

Marik grinned and shook his head. "Honestly I'm not trying to force you into anything. Quit worrying about what it all means, and just do what you want."

He smiled, and wiped at his eyes. "You always make everything sound so easy."

"It is easy!" Marik tapped against his temple, "It's what goes through your head up here that makes it complicated. Quit worrying so much. If you want this to go further, that's fine for me. If you're more comfortable with us just being friends, then… that's okay too." He wished he felt the conviction that sounded so good when spoken out loud.

"Thank you," Ryou whispered. "I'll admit I don't entirely believe you, but perhaps the Thief left behind a bit of paranoia when he left."

Marik forced a smile. Sometimes Ryou and his spiritual other half were so completely different, and then at other times they were disturbingly alike. His phone buzzed, and Marik forced himself to calmly reach for it instead of jumping. A text, from Rishid.

"What's it say?" Ryou whispered.

Marik took a deep breath. "It says she's okay. It took forever, he says, but she's alright." Marik leaned back into his seat again and gave a sigh of relief. Ryou covered them both up with the blanket again and put a reassuring hand on his thigh. Marik smiled and closed his eyes. Giving Ryou the ability to control what direction this was going to go was difficult, but really it was the right thing to do. For once, Marik wasn't in a place to make the proper decisions. Ryou had stated it over and over again, and really he was right. Marik kept thinking of him as the Thief, but that wasn't even remotely true. He looked like him, but that was the only difference.

Even if Ryou was struggling with this creepy darkness inside that pushed him to abscond roadkill back to his apartment so he could slice and dice, he still was in a better position to determine how this relationship was going to work. Ryou had his issues, but Marik had plenty as well. Ones that apparently weren't as easily traded off for a wood carving hobby.

He put an arm around Ryou's shoulders and fell into watching _Pride and Prejudice_ again. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad film. If you could get away from all the side characters and weird parents and confusing sisters, it was mostly about how complicated relationships could be. And at that moment, it truly hit home for Marik.


	16. Anzu and Yugi

Yugi was staring at the phone in his hands, staring at the name on the screen and weighing his options. If he told Anzu about what was going on, he knew precisely what she would do. She had harbored a crush on the Pharoah for years, and the knowledge that he was in any kind of danger would have her running to help. It wasn't that Yugi minded her help, or her presence. He looked forward to seeing her, especially since he hadn't seen her in months since she started taking dance classes in New York last January. The main thing that bothered him was the fact that he would have to introduce the Pharoah back into Anzu's life again, and he wasn't entirely sure it was the best idea.

When the Pharoah had been around, Yugi had quickly seen the sparks between him and Anzu. He had even set them up on a date once in the hopes that the Pharoah would loosen up a bit. It had worked more on Anzu than the Pharoah of course, and as Yugi grew to realize that he had feelings for Anzu too, he felt that he had inadvertently set the Pharoah up as his own competition. It was a foolish move on Yugi's part, but he couldn't take away the fact that his now wife had feelings for his dead best friend.

Only the Pharoah wasn't really dead now, and if everything worked out the way it should, the Pharoah would have to live somewhere. Likely inside of Yugi's head again where they would have to switch out bodies. Would Anzu love Yugi less if she knew that the Pharoah was back? Would she ask him to let the Pharoah out during intimate evenings? The very idea made Yugi's face get red with embarrassment.

Still though, they were married now, and Joey was right. If he didn't call Anzu and tell her now, it would be far worse in the future. He would be digging his own grave with his wife, and also losing Anzu as one of his best friends. He simply couldn't do that to her.

So he tapped Anzu's name on the screen. It took a couple of times because his hands were sweating, then he waited. Her phone rang once, twice, three times, and Yugi was beginning to wonder if maybe she wasn't there. If she didn't answer, maybe he wouldn't have to deal with this problem after all. He could just leave a message and ask her to call him, then pretend he was in bad cells. She wouldn't believe it of course, but she wouldn't be able to deny it either. In a way, it was a perfect way to get out of the complicated situation altogether.

Then Anzu answered her phone. "Hello? Yugi?" She sounded a bit breathless, and Yugi checked the clock. I was nearly 10:30 PM right now in Domino, which meant it was nearly 9:30 AM in New York. Anzu was probably in the middle of classes or at practice, and judging by the way she sounded, she was probably at practice.

"Hi Anzu! How are you?" He tried to sound as cheerful as she did, but he was pretty sure his nerves were slipping in.

"Oh Yugi, it's so good to hear from you! Hang on, let me step outside for a minute." Her footsteps echoed against concrete steps, and the squeak of a door was so high-pitched that Yugi had to pull the phone back a bit.

"That's better. Sorry, I had to get outside. Are you okay? You sound a bit upset."

Yugi sighed inwardly. Anzu always did have a good sense for when he was upset. She could hear it in his voice and see it on his face when no one else could. It was one of the reasons he loved her so much. She understood him in ways that even the Pharoah never did. It made them closer, and despite the frustration that rose in Yugi, he had to smile at her infallible perception. Even halfway across the world, Anzu could tell that Yugi was upset. "Yeah, there's a lot of stuff I need to tell you about. It has to do with the Pharoah."

"What?" Anzu said, her voice sounding small and frightened on the other end. "What do you mean it has to do with him? He's dead."

"Not really, and that's the problem. Apparently he never really moved on. He's been captured somehow, and we're trying to figure out how to help him." For once Yugi understood why Pegasus hadn't told him about how the Pharoah was getting tortured. If he tried to tell Anzu that right now, she would completely lose it. He had to explain it carefully, and not give away too much information that could put her in tears.

"Oh no, are you serious? How did that happen? I mean, we saw him move on, didn't we?"

"I don't think we really saw him move on. It looked like it, but I don't think that's what it really was." Yugi went on to tell her about Pegasus showing up at the Game Shop, about how they went and got Joey, and were now heading to the airport with Kaiba.

"So you're heading to Egypt?" Anzu asked.

"That's the plan. I guess Pegasus will help us get there."

"I'll meet you there then! I can find a flight tonight, and see if I can head out soon."

"Anzu, think about it first. What's going to happen with your dance classes? I don't want you to lose your scholarship just because of this."

"It's not a big deal. Classes have barely started this term, and if I have to, I can drop out or even withdraw from them. Look, I'm not going to just sit here while you all fight to help the Pharoah out."

"I know, but I just don't want you to-"

"Don't you want me to come?"

Anzu was an expert at manipulating Yugi's emotions, but at the same time Yugi had been expecting it. She would never have taken 'No' for an answer, and he wouldn't be surprised if right after he hung up the phone, she was already trying to find a way to get to Cairo. "You know I do. I just don't want you to do something you might regret."

"If I don't come, then I'll always regret it. But if you don't want me to, I won't. Just tell me Yugi."

Did she know what Yugi was really afraid of? Was she too afraid that she might fall for the Pharoah all over again, and want to be with him instead of with Yugi? His mouth went dry and he stood speechless for a moment, searching for the right words.

"Yugi? Are you still there?"

"Yes, I'm still here." He squeezed his eyes shut, "And yes, I want you to come."

"Thank you, Yugi. Love you."

"Love you back. Be safe, okay?"

"I will," she said, then hung up.

His heart was pounding in his chest. He hoped he had done the right thing. Joey thought he had, but then again Joey didn't know what kind of affect the Pharoah had over Anzu. When last the Pharoah had been around, Joey had been too caught up in proving that he was a decent duelist rather than worrying about troubled relationships.

Yugi walked back over to Pegasus' car where Pegasus and Joey were discussing their next destination. Joey gave him a thumbs up as Yugi headed back to them, and Yugi gave one back with a weak smile.

#####

To be continued in Painful Memories: Part III: Consequences


End file.
